To Fall into Rut
by sessluver
Summary: Sesshoumaru has been taken captive by Ungai and his monks, and to make matters worst he is about to go into his first rut. Kagome a traveling miko is captured by the same monks to serve as his outlet so his beast wouldn’t escape in a lustful rage. SessKag
1. Chapter 1: The Capture

(A/N: Hello, this is a new story. Just for the record, rut is something a demon that has already reached sexual maturity experiences every five years. It's similar to a mating season. Demons reach physical maturity before sexual maturity in this story, and Sesshoumaru is a virgin despite having lived for centuries since this is his first rut. This story is written by MLMonty and me, sessluver. I hope you like it!)

-------- With Sesshoumaru ---------

Dusk was approaching the clearing as a hush settled over the area, giving a false sense of peace. A small breeze blew by, gently tugging at hair and clothing. The Lord of the Western Lands stood tall and proud, staring coldly down his nose at the circle of impudent monks that surrounded him. They were nothing more than pests, a mere inconvenience to him. He lifted a hand to move a stray strand of silver hair away from his face and hooked it behind a delicately pointed ear. The monks tensed at the gesture, nervousness and fear rolling off of them in waves. Narrowing his eyes, Sesshoumaru waited impatiently for them to make their move.

He still had half of his lands to finish patrolling before he could head back to the castle. In his opinion, that sure as hell beat standing here within a circle of demon exterminators. Even if it meant that he would need to complete endless paperwork, it would certainly be better than this.

If he were anyone else, by now, he would be grumbling, however Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, would never do something so undignified. It had started out as a terrible day, and hadn't gotten any better. His retainer had caused a large and unnecessary amount of commotion about a letter and its contents early on in the morning. Sesshoumaru had received formal documentation from the demon council causing a slight headache to form. They intended to call a meeting of all four lords and the council members about Sesshoumaru's current lack of a mate. This news had to be dealt with and had caused him to fall behind schedule. He loathed being behind schedule.

'What a waste of time, the council does not command the actions of this Sesshoumaru and I do not intend to bind myself to a bitch until I feel ready. Which isn't going to happen anytime soon,' Sesshoumaru thought with an annoyed mental scowl, presenting his emotionless mask to the world even as he wondered when the confrontation with these monks would end. Better yet when would it begin as they were currently standing and doing nothing, merely giving him calculating looks. 'Besides, I haven't entered my first rut yet. There is still plenty of time for this Sesshoumaru to find a suitable bitch.' Sesshoumaru felt insulted. True he was the youngest demon lord of the four that ruled Japan, but he was far from stupid. He knew the other lords and the council members wished for their daughters to be present during his rut, hoping his beast would choose one of them as his mate.

His contemplations didn't last as a voice called out to him, pulling him rather rudely from his thoughts. He snapped his fangs together with a soft click, displeased that he had been interrupted from his important train of thoughts. It may not have been terribly important, but it was more important than these worthless human monks, of that he was sure. He once more felt a stab of annoyance, they weren't worth his time. Even combined as they were, they didn't match his strength. He couldn't allow them to live though. They had challenged him and he wouldn't spare their lives. Maybe if he was lucky they'd put up a decent fight.

"You spawn of the devil I, Ungai, am here to purge this world of filth such as yourself. Death is not good enough for one such as you. You must atone for your sins. You, whom have inflicted so much pain on others, must feel such pain yourself before you can be allowed the bliss of death," Ungai, the head monk of the small group of demon exterminators declared imperiously, making Sesshoumaru narrow his eyes even further while inwardly seething at the insignificant monk's autocratic tone. He was a little affronted that such a lowly human like Ungai had used such a degrading tone with him, the Lord of the West.

'This Sesshoumaru has committed no atrocities.' he released a mental sigh, 'I can hardly be bothered to correct every group of ignorant humans.' It was true Sesshoumaru showed no mercy to his enemies and the rare prisoners he took were kept alive only until he received what information that could be gained. He, however, never went around killing innocents. What was the point? They offered no challenge and he gained nothing from it.

Mentally shaking his head from further petty thoughts, Sesshoumaru watched with a calculating eye as the group of holy men, whom had remained still during the old man's speech, began moving around him in a swish of coarse, dark blue cloth. An electric blue circle formed at his feet that erupted into equally colored flames, forcing him to not move lest he burn himself with its holy fire. The demon seethed. He could feel his blood boil at their audacity. It rushed along just under his skin, fueling his anger. The dangerous lord released a snarl, his thin lips pulled back to show his deadly fangs; the fading rays of the setting sun causing the sharp edges to glint threateningly.

Ungai's weathered features broke into a triumphant grin as he accused the demon lord, "Now you show your true self, demon. I will rid this world of you! Men, capture him and render him unconscious, but do not kill him."

Sesshoumaru, in his own detached manner, envisioned the man going on incessantly about killing him. He could picture being forced to stand there encircled by the blue holy fire for all eternity as the man droned on. The fire burned almost enthusiastically at his feet as if in anticipation to such torture. 'What a terrible fate that would be,' he mused quietly to himself. 'Surely that would be far worse than any crime they believe I have committed.' Suddenly, something broke him out of his reverie.

Unified shouts of, "Yes Master Ungai!" echoed across the clearing. Sesshoumaru smirked, a fang that poked from his thin lips glinting red from the dying light. Finally they were getting down to business. Sandal clad feet pattered heavily as they ran around Sesshoumaru, forming a blurred circle. They chanted continuously. Their voices were becoming a buzz in Sesshoumaru's sensitive ears, similar to the sound a hive of bees made.

With a soft growl, Sesshoumaru realized he was at a disadvantage since he couldn't move. How could he allow his thoughts to wander so much? True, the monks offered little threat, but it was still unacceptable. 'I will no longer dally with such fools. I will kill them and leave as soon as this accursed ring of purifying fire disperses.' His thoughts were nearly spat out in anger.

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened unnoticeably, bleeding a dark fuchsia at what transpired next. He wasn't exactly fond of the word holy and he sure as hell hated anything holy near his person. He was highly resistant to being purified but being hit with a large amount of purification power still hurt like hell. Worst of all his original plan was no longer going to work. His youki was being taken right out of his very essence.

The men chanted while they covered Sesshoumaru in holy sutras; the sacred paper glowed a bright blue as the demon lord winced. He was able to dodge a few but the tight circle of fire made it all but impossible. Cursing in his mind as they bit into his skin, seeming to leech his youki from the very depths of his soul, he felt himself weaken. 'How can they be this powerful? It doesn't make sense. They shouldn't be able to pull this off, their not strong enough even combined.' Another wave of weakness over took the demon lord.

"What is this wretched spell you are casting?" Sesshoumaru's commanding tone resonated through the field, his back straight and strong even with the weakening of his power. His steely golden gaze landed on Ungai, demanding answers with the will and strength of his eyes alone. Ungai tugged a little at his robes, looking as if he were nervous. 'The fool should be nervous,' Sesshoumaru thought with a snort of derision.

Having mustered his courage Ungai stopped his tugging and gave a sneering glare that wavered at Sesshoumaru's fierce one. "So the beast can speak, how amazing. Let me explain to someone as uneducated as you, what we are doing here is called the, 'Youki Vacuum'," He murmured in a mocking tone. Obviously his courage was seriously lacking. He couldn't even gloat in a convincing manner. "Its main function, as you can already feel no doubt, is to absorb the youki of any demon caught. Powerful or not, all demons fall before this holy spell." For the first time Sesshoumaru noticed something disturbing in the man's eyes. Madness. "After this process is completed, you will feel as weak as a newborn kitten."

Hating that this measly old monk had so blatantly regarded him as an uneducated person, Sesshoumaru refused to allow his back to bend with the sudden lack of strength he felt. The arrogant lord sniffed disdainfully at the pitifully unaware human. "This Sesshoumaru has lived for centuries and is more knowledgeable than you will ever become. I have heard of this 'Youki Vacuum' plenty of times during my travels," he responded expressing his overwhelming haughtiness.

Though he had neglected to tell the impudent monk that he had never been treated to such a spell before, it came out as odd to him as to how he could withstand most poisons fed into his body, and yet be so vulnerable to holy spells. It was true he was less susceptible than most and they were specially designed to harm a demons body, but it ticked him off to have any weakness pertaining to holy spells. Those annoying things burned horribly. Once they started the long process of healing, they itched even worse than the burns themselves. Already, the effects of the spell the monks had cast were taking its toll on him.

Sesshoumaru let his beast out with a slight growl, but his youki was already far too depleted for him to do anything but remain in his weaker humanoid form. He heard his beast roar in anger, but his youki was simply too far gone to allow a transformation of that magnitude.

'Just how fast does this spell work?' Sesshoumaru thought. A slight frown tugged at his lips. His knees trembling at another sudden loss of youki that farther weakened his body, but he stood tall. As a last attempt to free himself, he allowed his claws to lengthen. Poison pooled under the surface of his fingertips, before he swung his whip. He watched with savage glee as his whip burned its way through skin and bone, beheading two of the unsuspecting monks before the lack of youki rendered him unable to summon his poison whip.

Silence reigned as the monks started to weaver in their resolve. They stared in revulsion at the decapitated bodies of their comrades. Blood pooled around their severed necks, the smell of burnt flesh and coppery tinge of the blood hung heavy in the evening air. They stood unable to react due to the suffocating fear and disgust engulfing them. Ungai planted his jingling staff firmly on the ground in front of him. Authority rang loudly in his voice while he worked his holy powers through the staff. "Let the spell take hold of you immediately for killing my followers, you vile beast."

The monk's holy powers glowed a vibrant blue around him and raced in the air towards the tiring demon lord. Sesshoumaru knelt down on a bent knee, keeping himself upright with the help of Tokijin, unsheathed and tip buried in the soft spring ground. Ungai's efforts quickened Sesshoumaru's loss of youki. With a low hiss of anger, the demon lord's balance wavered and his grip on the sword slackened causing him to slide further towards the ground. Most of his weight now rested on the sword.

Sesshoumaru knew he had overused his limited amount of remaining youki and with the command infused in Ungai's spell adding on to his exhaustion, he, the Lord of the West, suddenly felt all his energy drain from him. He managed to remain conscious long enough to hear the monks cursing, trying to figure out how he had managed to produce his poison whip with his youki draining away. He felt his world tip from underneath his dignified form, forcing him to the ground as his eyes blurred. The darkness that crept over his vision had nothing to do with the encroaching night and everything to do with him losing consciousness.

Insane laughter crawled slimily over the battlefield. "This is it," Ungai laughed, a sadistic form of happiness bubbling in his tone, "This filthy demon can be brought back to our shrine where he will be placed in a dungeon below the temple. Izanagi and Izanami smile upon us It's perfect, he will be trapped and unable to escape with the holy powers around the shrine even if he recovers his youki," saying this, he stumbled, having used a little too much power to quicken the effect of the youki vacuum. Perspiration beaded on his forehead as he breathed heavily, trying to get his breath back.

'Finally I have captured The Great Lord Sesshoumaru. This specimen of the devil's spawn is mine to torture to make him feel the pain his victims felt until I deem him fit to die for all his crimes.' Ungai smiled through his weariness, bringing a long sleeve of his robe towards his face he dabbed at the sweat.

"Master Ungai. Are you alright?" Some of his followers surrounded him, concerned. Nodding, Ungai stood up with no little effort. "After we bury our comrades, we shall head back to Izanagi and Izanami's holy temple".

A chorus of cheers rose from the small group of men even as their two dead comrades lay headless on the ground. Hidden in the darkness of the night, thick, cooling blood seeped from the beheaded corpses. A lone figure lay on the ground, no longer surrounded by holy fire. With his youki drained and at his weakest, Sesshoumaru was unconscious. His pristine white clothes remained dazzling even in the virgin night. "Men, take the demonic swords from the demons' possession and wrap them in cloth. I do not want him armed when he lies in his cell, understand?" Ungai ordered sharply.

"Yes, Master Ungai. We understand," rang out as some of the men knelt next to the limp form. Chanting a quick spell to prevent the sentient swords from attacking them, they were quickly wrapped up in cloth. After tying the swords into a bundle, they rested a while more, before setting out with Sesshoumaru's body in tow.

--------- With Kagome ---------

A young priestess hummed a rhyme she had heard from her mother as a child, one that intrigued her to no end, "Kagome, Kagome, the bird in the cage, when will you come out? In the evening of the dawn, the crane and turtle slipped. Who stands right behind you now?"

When she had been a young child, she had played this game with the village children. She had been forced to start her training to be the village's next priestess, for the last one had been aged when Kagome was still small. With a wistful smile, Kagome still remembered when the kind face of her elderly teacher had first appeared to her those fifteen years ago. She had peered at Kagome as if she could see the level of power she held.

A sad smile tilted her lips as she thought about how she had been at her teachers deathbed just a few months ago. It was then that the dying priestess had encouraged her with her last words. _"My dear girl, you are young and have plenty of power in you, enough to protect the village until you are as old as I. Do not fret, you will do everything just fine." _She had left then, but her words still rang solemnly in Kagome's mind.

Just recently a traveling priestess had settled in her village and pleaded for Kagome to allow her to stay. She was tired of traveling and wished to stay in the village as its priestess. Allowing the priestess to stay meant that Kagome had to leave her village. One village cannot have more than one priestess protecting its people, and Kagome knew it by heart as much as she knew which herbs were most useful to cure colds. She had been taught this and many other things by her departed teacher.

The simple reason behind that logic was the unspoken law between those of holy ranks. One village didn't need two holy protectors. If the current priestess took in an apprentice, then one of them must leave when the apprentice was promoted to the status of priestess. The one to leave would have to become a traveling priestess, helping the rest of the world. Kagome had acquiesced to becoming the 'other' priestess. The one whom traveled was also essentially an 'outcast' of her village.

Kagome still remembered when she had bid her mother and brother farewell. She doubted she would ever see them again unless she came back for a visit. 'Mama had sobbed so heart wrenchingly, and Souta,' she sighed. 'He was comforting mama, what a good brother of mine. Of course, he's older by quite a few years than me. I wonder what papa would done had he been alive.' Kagome thought sadly, eyes clouding over with memories of her father. He had died from a rouge demon attack many years ago, before anyone could even get to his aid.

At that thought, Kagome strengthened her resolve to do her job well, 'I will become a good priestess and I will save the lives of those who are attacked by rouge demons. Just watch me.' That last part she seemed to direct to the wandering priestess, who had in a way made her leave her home, her heart and the place she was most comfortable in.

--------- WIth Sesshoumaru ---------

Darkness smothered the dungeon that laid underneath the holy temple of Izanagi and Izanami's shrine. A silhouette of a lean sinewy body could barely be seen. He lay motionless on the cold, hard, filth covered floor. A solid metal collar was fastened tightly around the male's pale, muscular neck, restraining him and preventing him from using his demonic powers to escape from his cell. Holy powers were weaved through the collar. The youki had been drained from his body leaving him too weak to even crush the insects that skittered around him.

Maroon-shaded lids with thick silver lashes languidly opened. Unfocused amber eyes shone brightly in the near consuming darkness, blinking a few times to readjust to the dim light. A low groan emitted from his dry throat. The weakness he felt in his limbs was so great that he couldn't even find the strength to raise them from the ground. His whole body felt heavy. It disgusted him.

He wanted to get up and rip away the flimsy iron bars that trapped him. The lack of youki, however, made him unable to do anything but stay where he was. His rest hadn't even been enough to replenish more than the slightest bit of his youki. It was only enough for him to remain conscious for a short time.

'This Sesshoumaru must admit I did not expect to be so drained of energy. How was it possible for their attack to work? Even with their combined efforts it should not have been strong enough to capture me.' His eyes widened slightly with comprehension. 'Ungai's staff. He must have been using it to focus the spell, amplifying its power.' He was unsure of how he had missed the fact that the monk even had the damn thing until the end of the battle. 'I need to find out where I am and what this accursed collar is for.' Sesshoumaru grunted softly. 'They took my swords as well.' he thought with slight agitation. He didn't like being away from both his swords, though it was expected in this situation. His eyes narrowed as he lifted his perfectly shaped nose to scent the surrounding stale air. He hoped to pick up recognizable scents he could use to pinpoint the locations of his captors.

Growling when he smelt nothing that could be remotely useful, he allowed himself to rest in a heap on the floor. He didn't know what else he could do except lay still and try to formulate a plan of sorts while letting his youki replenish itself. 'Did those fools think that without my swords I am helpless? I must be in some form of a shrine. Those traveling monks have nowhere else to go.' It wasn't to hard to figure out some answers to his questions, but he still needed more information on what was going on.

Sesshoumaru stretched out as far as he could with his limp muscles. Slowly he allowed the lull of sleep to gently embrace him to conserve what little energy he had and replenish his sorely depleted youki. As he succumbed to the healing darkness, he wanted the situation to end soon so he could get back to his castle and take care of paperwork. 'There's going to be a shit load of paperwork to do when I get back. I hope there isn't going to be too much though, it's so tiring.'

The screeching of iron hinges opening snapped Sesshoumaru's world back into place and grated into his ears painfully. He cracked an eye open, glaring lazily at the pair of monks that had just interrupted his nap. Sneers met his glare as they looked at him with something akin to glee in their brown eyes. "You filthy demon, Master Ungai is tired tonight, and has bestowed upon us the honor of helping you atone for your sins." Sesshoumaru was quite sure that he had never heard the word 'demon' hold so much hatred before. It was spat out with such venom that if he had been a lesser male he would have recoiled from it.

"For killing our friends you shall know pain like no other," the second man condemned, his eyes glinting in a depraved manner. One he had never seen in a monk before and it led him to wonder how and why this male had become one of the holy ranks. "Be thankful, beast, that the master has burdened himself with your salvation."

'Maybe he just happened to have holy powers.' Sesshoumaru thought with an internal shrug, not particularly bothered by the threats he had received from the two monks before him. "Do what you will, I do not care," he replied. His tone was detached and laced with ice so cold, it seemed to burn.

With an ugly smirk, the first monk laughed lowly in glee. "Let's see if you will sing the same tune after we're done with you."

"By then we shall see if you really are apathetic to what happens to you," the second one gloated. "We'll have you begging to stop, monster."

At the taunts, Sesshoumaru just flicked a glance at them before looking away, mouth pressed into a thin line at their presumption that the Lord of the Western Lands would beg to be let off. 'Preposterous, this Sesshoumaru would never do such a thing even if I were on the cusp of death. These two hold little holy power which is next to incapable of harming me.'  
The dungeon was roomy and the monks used that fact to their advantage. They dragged him to the wall furthest from the entrance and chained him to it. He could see and even smell the streaks of dried blood on the walls and floor. Tilting his head, he even noticed some had made it on the ceiling. His body was pressed flush against the filthy wall. His hands stretched over his head high enough and far enough apart that only the tips of his toes rested on the floor. An impressive feat, considering his height. He was still too weak to move, he needed more rest and time to recover his youki. The chains were more of a means to keep him upright than to prevent attack or escape.

"Do not forget to thank Master Ungai for that lovely collar, demon. It is there so that though you will have the freedom to crawl around in your cell, you will not have any power to strike the monks that come in here. A wonderful contraption, don't you think?" The sick curl of the second monk's lips made Sesshoumaru wonder if he was mentally unstable. It would explain how he seemingly took pleasure at the prospect of causing pain. Who relishes harming others? Even Sesshoumaru did not enjoy harming others. It was necessary at times yes but to enjoy it? Deriving pleasure from a battle he understood. The way his blood sings as he fights for his life, the pounding of his heart as he moves across the battle field, the sounds of metal clashing against metal and voices raised in pain and victory ringing in his ears. This he understood. It was the way of a warrior. There was honor in it and your enemy has a chance to fight back and survive based on merit, skill and luck.

"Disgusting." Sesshoumaru spat, narrowed eyes focused sharply on the human males looking over his shoulder at them. Without a word, the man punched the proud lord squarely in the face; his smirk grew as he realized the hit had left a faint mark on Sesshoumaru's cheek.

A deep rumbling growl had erupted from Sesshoumaru's chest when he felt the slight sting of the hit. The demon lord was angry at himself for still feeling weak even after a short rest and infinitely angrier at the monks who had placed him in this degrading position. 'Although I must admit that if I had disposed of the monks sooner I might not have been in such a position.' Sesshoumaru thought. Overall he decided that it was slightly his fault for delaying in their deaths during the confrontation thus leading the situation to such a dismal result.

The reason the hit had even affected him was because he needed his youki to heal fast. Without the normal supply he usually had, his body practically functioned like a human one would. "Maybe abominations like you aren't quite so strong after all", the monk said. Shaking his head in laughter he lifted a staff from a weapons rack on the wall. He withdrew a knife from a secret compartment at one end of the staff. The metal eagerly caught the dim light. Though the dungeon was far from clean it seemed the monks kept good care of their tools. Sesshoumaru tensed as the male stepped up to him. In his condition he wouldn't be able to stand much and he knew it. The back of his shirt was gripped roughly and sound of silk tearing echoed in the quiet room bouncing off the grey walls.

"Now, from what I hear you demons can heal really fast. Almost instantly." The voice curled around Sesshoumaru almost like a lover's whisper, low and husky, filled with the need to torture. Cool air accosted his naked skin as his shirt was cut away from his back. "I wonder how fast you will heal with your youki drained. That collar will suppress it but it won't stop it from returning." Sesshoumaru tensed again at the softly spoken words whispered in his hear. The hot breath of his tormenter caressing the skin at the back of his neck, making him uncomfortable with a man pressing against him.

A sharp blinding pain left Sesshoumaru breathless and gasping. "Now, I want you to scream for me this being our first time and all." The voice still held the quality of a wanton lover as the hot breath fluttered against his neck. "After all this time is special. Once your youki replenishes itself it won't be quite the same. You'll heal pretty fast then and it'll take that special something away."

The deep slash was oozing with his unique blood. He could feel it sliding down his skin hot and sticky. A soft gold shimmer mixed with the dark red. The monk behind him finally moved away to look at his work. With quiet gasps, the monks could clearly be heard discussing him. "You even have abnormal blood. This does nothing but prove just how dirty and tainted you demons are." Sesshoumaru had no desire to answer such filthy humans so he remained as he was quiet, without a single sound.

Allowing his eyes to flutter shut, he rested his forehead against the cool damp wall. Sesshoumaru took a deep breath to quell the surge of pain as the monks took turns carving his back. It hurt worse than some, more grievous wounds he'd received in the past. The difference being that before, he started to heal as soon as he received the wounds. Now, he had to wait till his youki replenished. The pathetic puddle of youki he had left in him was barely enough to keep him conscious, much less enable him to heal from his wounds.

Cursing the monks in his mind, Sesshoumaru refused to show weakness. Refused to throw his head back and howl like an injured animal. Instead he kept his forehead pressed to the cool wall of the dungeon, studiously ignoring the smells of his own blood, the dried blood of previous captives and the scent of sweat from his tormenters. Carefully he reminded himself not to give his captors the pleasure of seeing him pass out, even as he felt the last of his youki rush to the surface to heal the gashes that were continually being cut into his body. He reminded himself of what the monk had said. The collar suppressed his youki but it didn't stop it from replenishing itself. He'd heal in time. Youki didn't need to be summoned forth for healing like it did for his poison whip. While he wouldn't be able to use his whip, he'd be able to heal once it was recovered. If only he'd be left alone long enough for it to happen.

After a while they stopped, and Sesshoumaru knew something worse was going to come. He gritted his teeth just in time to brace himself for the oncoming pain. He heard the air crack seconds before a whip snapped across his broken skin. His eyes snapped wide open, Sesshoumaru's throat could be seen convulsing as he kept the snarl of pain hidden within him just under the surface. A low thrumming growl broke through though, and he could practically hear his captors smile. Once more he felt the monk lean into his ear his fetid breath on his neck. "You know if you had only screamed for me it'd be over with by now. No matter I'll have you screaming yet." He could hear the other monk taunting him with, "So the demon can feel pain after all," and "maybe this should be done more frequently to keep the filth on his toes, allows him to know what fear of pain truly is like."  
A particularly harsh crack of the whip hit one of Sesshoumaru's deeper wounds, causing him to stiffen in pain, teeth gritted tightly to stop the sounds that wanted to tear from his throat. His throat was starting to feel sore due to the effort he exerted to keep himself quiet. His pride refusing to allow the monks the pleasure of seeing him being affected by the torture.

With every slash of the whip, his breath was knocked out of him. He grew to dread the cracking sound in the air signaling another strike. His back was in tatters. There was no other way to describe it. Flaps of skin hung off his wounds, his golden streaked blood pooling around his feet. His back began to grow numb. It hurt so much that the new wounds were no longer felt, and his breath was nearly knocked out of his from the force of the whip. Sesshoumaru wondered, even amidst the pain, when this would end.

Eventually his captors became tired from whipping him so hard, and simply released his hands, leaving him to fall to the ground in a graceful heap. A graceful but mentally and physically exhausted heap. 'They left,' Sesshoumaru thought groggily before sinking into the blissful haven of sleep, heavy maroon lids drifting closed.

Sesshoumaru was slow in regaining the movements of his limbs, a sleepy look in his eyes declared for him without the need of words that he had just woken up. When he turned to examine his surroundings and see if any of the enemy were present, he found none. He supposed he felt a tad uncomfortable in this place due to it being a holy shrine of some gods or another, though essentially, that had absolutely nothing to do with him.

Sesshoumaru let out a silent sigh. He suddenly felt an odd stirring deep in his groin. When he moved he realized his youki had been pretty much replenished, and he could move freely about the cell. Someone must have dragged him back into it after he passed out in the torture chamber. Carefully, he flexed his back muscles and found that other than a tender ache he was mostly healed. Warmth pooled and spread throughout his body, giving him an odd feeling. When he moved, a form of aching pain seemed to make his body shudder a little.

His eyes widened. Sesshoumaru had read about it enough times to know what was happening to him. His first rut had arrived and already from what he could tell it was not going to be pleasant, unless he had a female to sate his needs on. The first rut was always the worst as it was. It was the most demanding, the time where his beast could very well take over in its need to mate. Sesshoumaru did not grouse about bad timing, about how of all the times his rut could have come, it did not and instead decided to come now. He just wasn't the type of male to complain about such insignificant things. Besides, he knew it was coming this spring just not when exactly. It was five years after reaching his sexual maturity and like all demons he knew that meant his first rut this spring. He had known it would happen sooner or later. And it was happening now.

'This could either go very bad, or it could turn out half decent,' Sesshoumaru mused before moving towards a wall and propping himself on it. Leaning back to rest on it, he let his mind drift as his body began to heat with need.


	2. Chapter 2: The Sacrifice Named Kagome

Summary:

Sesshoumaru has been captured, and to make matters worst, he is about to go into his first rut. Kagome a traveling miko is kidnapped to serve as his outlet so his beast wouldn't escape in a lustful rage.

To Fall into Rut

Chapter 2: The sacrifice named Kagome

Heat flooded his senses. Against his will, he started to tense up, not liking how his blood made his flaccid cock become engorged. It was slightly heavy and hard, which caused him mild discomfort while sitting.

A loud growl shook the dungeon as Sesshoumaru tossed his head, eyes bleeding a faint pink at the new sensations being introduced to his body. He wasn't used to them, but the Lord of the West did not give in too something easily, even if that something wasn't easy to resist. At the bestial sounds, a lone monk came running into the large dungeon and peered anxiously at a crimson-eyed Sesshoumaru who at that moment was baring his fangs, erection half formed and pushing slightly against his loose pants.

The young monk scrambled outside quickly, his eyes widening as he fantically called out, "Master Ungai! There is something you need to see regarding the demon we captured a few days ago! Hurry!"

'Humans are such annoying things,' Sesshoumaru brooded with a soft growl mixed with a groan at the feelings his rut was producing. His current mood was not making him amused even with the delicious scent of fear flooding his ultra-sensitive senses.

Frenzied steps pattered heavily on the ground, clearly made by wooden sandals, as Ungai appeared from the dark doorway leading into the dungeon. His eyes narrowed as he took in the current situation. The strained look etched on Sesshoumaru's face told him all he needed to know about what was going on. "Rut. You are in rut, demon!" Ungai exclaimed in disbelief, finding the fact hard to digest since he hadn't exactly expected this to come into the already rather complicated equation.

Compressing the urge to roll his eyes, which contained irises that swirled with dark crimson, Sesshoumaru spat out moodily, "Well, it's no use stating the obvious, monk. That much I know."

"And the wounds on your back! They've healed!" Ungai said in amazement, having expected Sesshoumaru's back to be still be bleeding from the abuse of last night. 'Now that I didn't know,' Sesshoumaru thought in slight surprise. He had not realized it before, even though he knew being a demon lord of great strength allowed his youki to be replenished faster than most demons. Now suddenly noticing that his back indeed no longer hurt with the burn of deep wounds, instead, he felt perfectly normal. 'I guess humans are observant occasionally after all.' In his frenzied need and scorching desire, he had missed it.

When another wave of heat encompassed him, Sesshoumaru cursed silently. The awful slashes across his beautiful pale back may have healed nicely, but his rut was just beginning. If he didn't find a female to rut with soon, he could possibly go insane with need, though he wouldn't die from the overwhelming heat that would soon build up in his body.

As if he knew what Sesshoumaru was thinking, Ungai seemed to pale slightly. He turned to the man who had informed him of Sesshoumaru's rut, commanding the male in a quiet voice that shook, making the authority behind his voice weak. "Bring a female. Any female to this place and throw her in with the demon. Lust is a terrible need that claws at demons mercilessly. If we do not find him one to waste his energy on, he might just have enough strength to render my collar useless and escape from here. We can't allow that to happen. He hasn't atoned for his sins yet."

Without a wavering doubt on whether or not doing such a thing was ethical, he bowed and said respectfully, "Yes, Master Ungai."

"Good," was all that the elder monk said as he left the dungeons with a swish of his purple and blue robes, leaving the other monk to trail slowly behind him. The younger monk headed out to find a hapless woman wandering about nearby.

Sesshoumaru laid head back against the cold stonewall as his body begin to shudder with the heat coursing through his blood. It scorched all of his body, making his head feel a little clouded. It was as if he had almost no control over his actions at the moment, making him feel a little like a young pup infatuated for the very first time. Except, there were no females to be infatuated with, even if Sesshoumaru had allowed such a frivolous thing to happen to him.

--------- With Kagome ---------

Kagome, the traveling miko, was walking with a spring in her step as she came dangerously close to the shrine where Sesshoumaru was being held at. "Hmm, I wonder what mama's cooking tonight," she said to herself, a little disappointed when she had to face the fact once more that she would probably never see her family again. She had pledged herself to the good of mankind, not just her village. After the other priestess had settled into her village, Kagome wasn't considered the village's miko any longer for that position had been taken over by the wandering miko who had sought and found refuge.

Shrugging off the draping sadness like a well-worn shirt, Kagome continued on her way. Her holy powers danced like lights around her body, flashing shades of pink. She bent down slightly to pick a single lilac from a small bush. It reached her waist and was overflowing with the beautiful blossoms.

'I hate my miko garbs. They're simply too loose for me!' Kagome thought crossly as she refolded the left sleeve that had came out from its neat fold.

The monk, who had been sent out of the temple, had noticed Kagome and quietly crept closer to stand behind her. He had decided to bring her back, no need to find another. She was a pretty thing, sure to satisfy the demon's urges, even if she was donning miko robes. It was unholy to aid in the defilement of a miko, but this was holy mission. It could be excused since they were doing righteous work.

Kagome never had a chance to protect herself as she felt something cold hit the back of her head. Then a tangible darkness overwhelmed her consciousness, stretching over her eyes, covering them like a blanket as she felt her body drift towards the ground. A satisfied smile slowly took over the young monk's face. With this young woman, he could go back to the shrine and offer her to the demon, ceasing anymore troubles Ungai might have had to face regarding Sesshoumaru's rut. Even if his conscience was nagging tediously at him for doing such a wretched thing, he would remind himself it was holy work they were doing.

Sesshoumaru closed his blood-red eyes as he rested; flecks of amber still glinting in them. His entire body was tense and stiff as he tried to ignore the screaming need to mate. The need was beginning to be come painful.

He knew the young monk hadn't been gone long, however he was not pleasantly surprised when his sharp sense of smell told him that the man had returned from wherever he had been. 'Probably to get a female.' Though it was a futile effort on the young man's part, Sesshoumaru did not intend to indulge himself on whatever whore nearby they might have found for him. He didn't expect holy monks to capture a pure female for their demon captive, so when the sweet lilac scent of a young, untouched woman wafted over to his sensitive nose, he hardened even further. His amber eyes flickered as he was desperately trying to maintain control, before they were plunged into a deep, pure scarlet.

A strangled growl emitted from Sesshoumaru. His clawed fingers clenched into fists, causing him to bury his sharp nails into calloused palms. The pain from his bleeding puncture wounds enabled him to get a semblance of control over his sanity.

Sesshoumaru was unable to injure the young monk that came in to 'deliver' him the mature but untouched miko. The collar around his neck held holy powers strong enough to subdue him when needed. In this case, he wasn't supposed to harm the poor excuse for a monk. "She's from the Western Lands, my dear lord," he laughed. "I'm sure you only have to order her and she'll bow to your every want and need."

Sesshoumaru fumed upon hearing that the female they had brought to him was taken from his territory. Before the impudent monk could continue he interrupted, "Get out. You are not fit to touch anything under my protection. And I am still lord, nothing has changed because of my imprisonment."

Frightened by Sesshoumaru's near palpable anger, the terrified monk ended up dropping the limp body of the miko into the cell and fleeing. He stopped only long enough to make sure to lock the door, just in case the collar that Master Ungai had created failed at the most inappropriate of moments, and resulted in his death. Not that he had a lack of faith in Ungai, but it never hurt to be safe where a vile demon was concerned.

After the departure of the monk, Sesshoumaru glared at the miko resting at his feet, and bared his fangs silently. He was torn between his honor that was telling him not to do anything untoward to the human and his beast who was telling him to take her that very minute.

To anyone else, he would have appeared like a statue with his face emotionless, but inside, he was merely contemplating the possible reasons why he was so enamored with the girl. 'My rut must be more advanced than I thought. I know nothing of this woman yet I desire her already. Her miko robes make her look like an underdeveloped human girl. What's worse is they brought me a miko, the natural enemy of my kind, so why in am I even considering her? Yes, my rut is far worse than I thought.' With a detached sort of curiosity, his eyebrows furrowed slightly as he buried himself deeper into his thoughts.

A soft moan from the bundle of red and white in front of him made him blink as he focused his eyes on the waking miko. Tilting his head to the side, Sesshoumaru stuck out his foot and poked the girl in front of him, careful not to injure her frail human flesh with his shoe.

"Wake up girl," Sesshoumaru ordered, ever the imperious Lord of the West as he stared down at her worthless form, "stop wasting my time. Get up now."

Another incoherent mumble from the girl forced Sesshoumaru to resist the urge to roll his eyes. His thin lips pressed into a line while he watched her move around. He still felt as if he was staring at a rolling bundle of clothes, and not a small miko who obviously had on garments three times her size, way too big for her petite frame. Although he couldn't see the girl beneath the monstrosity of a clothing, he had a pretty good guess about her size.

"Damn it, shut up, Souta. I need my beauty sleep," the odd miko said, rolling to a stop just in front of Sesshoumaru's folded leg, and accidentally resting on his outstretched one. One of her arms rose to lazily wave about, as if protesting the idea of waking up. Still deciding on whether he should frown or give her a flat look, Sesshoumaru heard her continue muttering, "What is this tree root underneath my back?"

Freezing slightly when the girl's face came within inches to his straining erection, Sesshoumaru schooled his features back to normal before scowling, "I said get up. My leg is not a resting place for human filth, nor is my leg a tree root."

One hazy chestnut brown eye cracked open while Kagome yawned and moved her hand to rub her neck. She remembered the pain before she had blacked out. "Where is this place? What am I doing here? Who are you? What are you doing here? Why are we locked up?" Another frown creased his eyebrows as Sesshoumaru chose to keep quiet. He would never agree willingly to answer a lowly human's inane questions.

"Why won't you answer me?" Kagome whimpered, her eyes pleaded with him as she continued to rub her sore neck in agitation.

"Why should I?" His cold voice made the miko huff. Her eyes were alight with her indignation as she scoffed, refusing to look at him, she turned away. Her baggy robes made her resemble a shapeless mass of human flesh and cloth.

Sesshoumaru refrained the small smile that was twitching at his lips with his errant thought. When his cock twitched and throbbed, he bit down on his lower lip to prevent a groan from escaping, his sharp fangs drawing a single thick droplet of blood. His urge to smile vanished and he knew he had to inform her of her situation before his rut took over his consciousness and forced him to go as low as to take her without her consent.

Biting back another sigh, Sesshoumaru licked up his blood before choosing to answer her reluctantly, "I am the Lord of the Western Lands. You are in a dungeon built underneath the shrine of Izanagi and Izanami. As to why you and I are here, that I can not answer. The monks seemed to be crazed, and due to my error in judgment, managed to capture me. This accursed collar keeps me from breaking out of this pathetic prison."

With a small start, Sesshoumaru realized that what he had just said was probably the longest he had said in a century, or perhaps even more. The miko was also startled by his long answer. She had not actually believed that she would get the answers she needed, since he had been so cold moments earlier. She just thought that she would ask anyway, just in case he answered. She was stunned that he actually did.

"Thanks for telling me, I guess. Wait, what do you mean monks? It's against holy laws to aid in the harm or capture of a miko, traveling or not. Everyone knows that! If monks captured you, then it means you are a sacrifice, and if I'm here with you, then it means they plan to sacrifice me too. But I can't be sacrificed with you!" Kagome huffed in indignant anger. Then she realized that Sesshoumaru had been telling the truth, the intriguing maroon stripes on his sculpted cheeks and a dark aqua-blue crescent moon on his forehead marked him as the lord. She bowed and paid her respects to the demon who ruled over the land she lived in.

Looking a little ashamed, Kagome smiled at him. "Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. I was just in shock seeing that I wasn't where I had been before I fell unconscious. My name is Higurashi Kagome. How about yours?" Appalled at the fact that this Kagome Higurashi had not called him by his respectful title and didn't know his name made Sesshoumaru stare quietly at her for a few moments. He thought about his answer; would he lop off the insolent girl's head or to grace her ears with his name?

Suffocating silence settled in the dungeon while Kagome stared, with a pretty smile on her face, at the demon lord that held her gaze with a cold look. Sesshoumaru finally opened his mouth and enunciated his name with perfect articulation, as if talking to a child who was slow in learning, "Sesshoumaru."

Her smile faded a little, but came back in full force as she beamed at him. "It's a nice name."

An amused look crossed his face before it disappeared as quickly as it came. "I must admit the killing perfection is a wonderfully fitting name."

The dry sarcasm in his tone had her crossing her arms and glaring at him. "Now, no matter what your name means, it was given to you by your parents and can never be changed by anyone else, even yourself. So I'd advice you to accept it. I should know my parents named me after a song." Kagome nodded her head to herself in a knowledgeable manner. She moved her hands to rub her stomach, a soft sigh escaping her parted lips which drew most of Sesshoumaru's attention much to his dismay.

Arching an uncaring eyebrow as he ignored her peach colored lips, Sesshoumaru intoned, "What is the matter?" Kagome refused to answer him. The air around her made it clear enough, though. "You are in heat."

A heavy feeling of exasperation weighed on Kagome forcing her to sit in a hunched position as she leveled a flat look at Sesshoumaru, one that could rival his own. "No way. My cycle ended two weeks ago, I still have another two more weeks to go. Argh! Why am I even talking to you about this? Anyway, I'm just hungry. I didn't have dinner last night and I was dragged here early in the morning. Obviously I didn't have time for breakfast."

He shook his head slightly, as he realized the human had no idea what he was talking about. Sesshoumaru clarified it to her, like teaching a child something new. "Your heat has nothing to do with when you bleed. Human females go into heat before the bleeding begins. You just told me yourself that it was two weeks till your cycle arrives, that is around the time you're heat would begin."

Letting the mentally slow miko think about his words, Sesshoumaru thought to himself, 'What a childish woman with the intelligence of one. And with odd weaknesses too. But her heat explains why I wanted to take her unconscious form so badly. There is no way I'm taking the miko. She's a holy creature and the feeling of being purified is not all together the best feeling one would prefer.'

A spasm of heat suddenly crashed upon Sesshoumaru's prone form, causing him to tense sharply. His eyes were once more a battle between amber and crimson, the dark red slowly overtaking the golden hue as a rumbling growl shook the cell.

"What is it? What's happening to you? How can I help you? Stop looking so infuriatingly constipated and tell me!" Kagome exclaimed in worry for the demon lord's condition even if she did not know him. She was a kindhearted miko and despite facing down demons to protect villages from being attacked, she also healed the injured ones. Those that were discriminated unfairly and were attacked by humans for simply being born into a different species.

Sesshoumaru knew he had kept his beast in for far too long during his rut, and he could feel the animal in him rise fiercely. Before he lost control and knowing he was in no condition to give the miko a full explanation, even though she deserved one, his harsh voice panted out to her, attempting to explain as much as he could before he completely forgot himself. "Miko, I am in rut."

After that short explanation, a shudder went through his strained body. When he looked up to face Kagome, his eyes were of a deep swirling blood-red. She could barely register his words before she was pushed roughly to the ground. Sesshoumaru's large body covered her petite form. His mouth ravaged hers. Clawed hands ripped at her thin, coarse clothes. His own dirty silk robes laid innocently beside the both of them, having been stripped off with speed unknown to mankind before he even touched her.

The miko huddled underneath the intimidating form of the demon lord, her eyes tightly closed and her hands clenched into small fists in front of her chest. She would do this for the Lord of the West. She would give both her innocence and her body to the male that ruled over the western region of Japan. She was such a creature of compassion, full of desire to aid those who were in difficulty.

"Open. Your. Eyes." Those three words were forced from Sesshoumaru's mouth, his fangs elongated as the eyes of his beast stared at her now open hazel eyes. His gaze told her to relax and try her best to endure this, perhaps even enjoy it, but never hide from it. He did not want to force her into this, he wanted her to accept it, even if it meant using all he had to silence his rampant beast that roared triumphantly at the first breath of freedom. For this human who was unlucky enough to be dragged into his problems and as much as he hated to admit it, for he was a proud and arrogant creature who finds humans worthless, this lone human did not deserve what he was about to do to her.

Her daring eyes looked up into his fierce red ones. She accepted this, accepted his dominance even as her naked body shivered with the cold breeze drafting through the cell every now and then. Her torn clothing thrown to the side without a care. She accepted it knowing that he was a slave to his beast. While she was not sure what rut was, she did realize that he had little, if any, control over his body at the moment.

A deep, shuddering sigh ripped through his body, as if grateful to her for submitting herself to him. For trusting in him, even after he had been the one who had savagely ripped the modest clothes from her tiny frame. The one who would steal her innocence, and cause her to be unwanted by all males for being impure.

His hot mouth devoured her own whole. His deadly fangs grazed her delicate bottom lip as he suckled the succulent flesh into his mouth. He savored her taste, like ripe peaches. She squirmed slightly, wanting to help the suffering demon lord but was suffocated with nervousness, as every virgin had a right to be. Kagome placed uncertain, yet gentle hands, on his muscled shoulders needing some form of reassurance that what she did was the right thing, no matter how scared she felt.

Kagome had every right to doubt her choice, since she was young she had always listened to her mother. She made sure to obey all the rules of right and wrong, yet when it came down to this, her mother wasn't by her side to tell her what to do. Anyone with half a mind knew that it was an unspeakable taboo for a human to rut with a demon, much less a holy miko, but her mind was torn in two directions. One told her that helping someone was not a sin, yet the mortal part of her pulled at her, and told her that if she did this unspeakable act, she would burn in the eternal fires of hell for eternity.

She closed her eyes once more, Kagome tried to calm her furiously beating heart. 'I have to help him. As the ruler of the Western Lands he has many responsibilities that cannot be delegated. If he perishes here the whole western region will fall into irreversible chaos. Besides, he has a right to live too. All living things do. And if he can be saved by the mere sacrifice of an insignificant miko like myself, then I will gladly hand my life over to him. I'll help in any way I can. Even if it's just to bed him and sate his lust till he regains control.'

Sesshoumaru's vision was a hazy red. He was tired, yet knew he had no control over his actions now. Slowly, his vision cleared a little and he vaguely saw the small miko he knew as Kagome, with her eyes scrunched shut. He bent to brush his lips over her neck, pressing hard where he could feel the pulsing beat of her heart. He reveled in the feel of it beating a tattoo against his lips.

The guilt in him festered at the pitiful sight she displayed, her body shivered trapped between him and the cold hard ground. He opened his mouth and pressed wide moist kisses around her pounding pulse, causing the tensed girl to open her eyes and look shyly at him. It was then that he noticed the presence of her small hesitant hands on his shoulder.

Dragging his lips over the bare swell of her ample breast, Sesshoumaru's beast rewarded her little valiant act with the rough suckling of her erect nipples, already stiffened by the cold. Kagome's hands moved to the base of his neck and tugged at his hair, a soft cry rose from her throat as she clung to him, shivering uncontrollably at the sensation of having his rough tongue pressing and rolling her sensitive nipple. Heat formed in waves within her coursing throughout her body. The cold from the air was forgotten as the heat he created encompassed her mind and body despite the goose bumps that rose on her fair skin.

Palming her swelling breasts, Sesshoumaru bared his elongated fangs and grazed each nipple. He refrained from biting through her thin skin even as he tugged on them with his teeth.

A fire spread between Kagome's legs as she gave a keening mewls. Hot liquid seeped from her slightly swollen folds. Not knowing what was happening, she squeezed her legs together, trying to rub her moist opening against anything to encourage the clenching feeling she got whenever her folds rubbed against each other.

Frowning, Sesshoumaru bent to nip a plump nipple, punishing her for attempting self gratification. His beast decided that he would be the only one to see to all her needs. Kagome was not to do so herself, or with any other male. Those who dared to encroach on his property would have to face his wrath.

Yelping softly at the nip she received, Kagome ceased her movements briefly, long enough for Sesshoumaru to force her legs open with muscled thighs. He pressed his own engorged cock against the warm slick wetness of her spread lips. Gasping, she kept the loud cry of surprise from leaving her throat as her juices slid along the hard length of his erection. Sesshoumaru rocked his hips forward sliding his cock along her opening. Thrusting against her, he made sure to press against her sensitive bud at every pass. Kagome moaned at the foreign feeling and wrapped her legs around his narrow waist locking her heels.

Kagome arched her back and dug her head into the hard floor as she came with another roll of his hips, grinding himself hard against her swollen clit. A scream stuck in her throat, mouth opened wide in an attempt to release it from its hiding place within her convulsing throat. With a quick shift of his hips Sesshoumaru sheathed his engorged cock deep inside of her, breaking her thin barrier. Kagome bit her lip harshly at the pain of the intrusion, body trembling from both pain and the continuous pleasure. Sesshoumaru hissed at the feeling of her tight hot walls convulsing around him as he held himself still, riding out her orgasm and heightening his pleasure to painful lengths. When she grinded against him, he willingly slipped deeper in. He snarled at the feeling and buried his nose in the crook of her neck, taking in deep breaths of her scent, trying to relax his painfully tensed body. He pulled out of her almost completely, fighting the pull of her slick muscles. Thrusting back into her willing and open body, he forced her to take him again and again. His beast loved the soft gasps she made as he pounded relentlessly into her. Thankfully, she was not one to scream. That would have shattered his eardrums as it would echo off the dungeon walls.

Gritting his teeth, Sesshoumaru dug his nails into the soft flesh of her hips and ruthlessly lifted her lower half off the floor, sliding so deep within her with every thrust that she felt the beginnings of another explosion of pleasure within her body. "Sesshoumaru. I..." she gasped as the slow burn within her blew out of proportion, causing her to clench his shoulders with her frail human hands as she came, hot juices spilling out of her body, all over his cock, allowing the well-endowed male to slide ever deeper inside her, hitting the opening of her cervix at every pass.

He suckled her beautifully curved breasts, leaving bites and bruises on her soft, impressionable skin. His fangs scraped against her skin where he would mark a mate, his tongue moving over the tender spot to sooth the burn almost immediately after. Finally, the blinding pleasure of Kagome's hot body squeezing his painfully hard rod broke him. Sesshoumaru roared his completion as his fangs dug into her shoulder. At the same moment, his large knot slipped into her delicate folds, eliciting a cry of pain from the unbearably tight young woman. With great control, he forced his jaw not to clamp down on her delicate skin, stopping himself from piercing her skin deeply with his fangs and causing her more pain than he already had. Panting with the effort of his tiring restraint, he attempted to catch his breath and calm his heart.

Still, his knot stayed inside of her for a few moments, seeming to grow even larger before expelling the last of his burning cum into her womb, the hot liquid causing another tingling between her legs as her body responded to the foreign liquid now residing inside her body. As the knot grew smaller, it slipped out of her bruised folds.

Now that Sesshoumaru had sated his beast for the time being, it retreated and his eyes slowly faded from a ruby red to blood speckled gold. He withdrew his mouth from her shoulder and after checking to make sure her skin wasn't pierced, he licked the bruised spot soothingly. Kagome giggled softly at the feeling, even as her body protested the vigorous action, her eyes drifting close in languid satisfaction. The tip of his tongue tickled her as it danced across her skin. Making sure he coated the little bites he had given her with his saliva, which contained healing properties. He rested his body over hers, careful not to burden the miko's small body as he lay on her, bracing his weight on his caging arms while his saliva tightened against her skin, drying in the chilly air.

Kagome felt him slowly pull out from her tired body, trailing with him a thin string of his white seed. It left an odd empty feeling in her when he moved away. It was as if she was finally whole when he filled her, and now, that feeling was lacking.

Burying his face into her collarbone, the severity of what he had done slammed into his conscious, making his mind stagger at the unjust he had done to the innocent woman, someone who had done nothing to deserve the shame he had placed upon her. Being one who greatly valued honor, Sesshoumaru was ashamed for doing such a dishonorable deed.

Climbing off the miko reluctantly and backing away to a wall of their cell, he grabbed his hakamas off the floor and pulled them on with shaking hands. He had control for now, but he didn't know for how long. He needed to explain about his rut while he could. "Miko, listen well. As I said I am in rut." He watched the woman, Kagome, slowly gather her clothes and wrap herself in the tattered scraps as best she could, her eyes looking slightly dazed as if her mind wasn't able to comprehend the situation she was currently in. "I have little control over my lust. The monks that captured me feared that with my beast being so close to the surface, I would have enough power to break the collar. It is the only thing that keeps me here. It suppresses my youki and allows them to subdue me for short periods of time. They brought you here to serve as a sacrifice. The monks gave you over to me to sate my lust and thus, keep me bound here."

"But, they are monks. Why would they imprison you? Why would they be willing to commit a holy crime against a miko? Against any woman?" It was a terrifying thought. Kagome might appear completely innocent, unknowledgeable, and indeed she possessed a child-like wonder of the world around her, but such terrors were a part of a miko's life. She could not escape them. "Surely they do not wish to overthrow you. You are the rightful ruler of the Western Lands. It's true that you hold no great love for humans, but you are first and foremost, still a benevolent ruler, and not a tyrant that needs to be kept under lock and key."

"Hnn. That may be so, but they are not doing this out of a political agenda. They believe that all demons are filth that need to 'atone for their sins'. Their version of atonement is torturing whatever demon they capture till it dies, or till they believe atonement has been reached, before they kill it." Sesshoumaru looked on at her in curious admiration. The miko was more worried about his lands than her stolen virtue.

Kagome looked at him in horror. "Why would they believe something like that? As monks, they are sworn to protect all life, regardless of species, as a miko is. Demons, like humans, come in good and evil. It is the individual who makes the choices not the species."

Sesshoumaru looked at the woman he had just ravaged, yet remained so innocently on his side. She seemed odd for a miko. Many that he had encountered believed as the monks did. They were simply not powerful enough to do anything against him. "Tell me, miko, why did you not fight me? Why did you accept your fate? I have no desire to take you without your permission, but until my rut is over, I can guarantee that it will happen again, and my rut will last for two months."

"You are the Lord of the Western Lands. As one of the mikos under your rule, I will help in any way I can. You are too important to be lost to such monsters that call themselves holy men. If you don't escape, or if you were to die without an heir already prepared to take over, your lands will be thrown into bloody civil war. My family and friends all live in your lands and I don't want to see them caught in the crossfire. It's bad enough that I'll probably never see them again," Kagome sighed and pulled her shredded garments closer to her small frame. She became lost to her own turbulent thoughts of what could happen if her cell mate didn't escape. Not only would he die, she would lose all hope of ever seeing her family again. They could all die in the unjustified war, which was sure to happen if the demon sitting opposite her on the far end of the cell was somehow rendered unable to return to his lands.

Unknowingly stopping her morbid thoughts, Sesshoumaru hesitated before saying softly, almost seeming as if he cared for the tired and confused young miko, "Sleep, it is late. We will discuss this tomorrow." Kagome looked at him with trust in her eyes, even as she murmured an agreement, lying down on the stone ground to try and get some form of rest.

Sesshoumaru puzzled over why she would trust him even after he had betrayed her in such an unforgivable manner. However, he kept his thoughts to himself, where they belonged as he moved back to the miko's side, who at that moment looked highly uncomfortable with sleeping on the solid ground that contained no cushioning whatsoever. Even as he questioned his actions, Sesshoumaru took his shirt and rolled it into a semblance of a pillow, lifting miko's head slightly to place the bundle of cloth underneath her head, hopefully easing her discomfort. With another sideway glance at the already slumbering miko, who had whispered a thanks before she fell prey to sleep, he laid his head against the wall nearest to her, crossing his legs and, allowed sleep to claim his weary conscious, preparing for tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3: To Live with Sins

(A/N: Hello darlings. Sorry for the late update...I was busy with school work. I know, lame excuse. I hope you enjoy!)

Summary:

Sesshoumaru has been captured, and to make matters worst, he is about to go into his first rut. Kagome a traveling miko is kidnapped to serve as his outlet so his beast wouldn't escape in a lustful rage.

To Fall into Rut

Chapter 3: To Live with Sins

"What is the meaning of this? You took a miko to service the demon filth? What were you thinking? Do you know that defiling a miko directly, or indirectly, is a serious crime?" Ungai asked, his aged face controlled by ugly anger.

Bowing low, the young monk who had brought Kagome into the cell answered, "Master Ungai, it wasn't on purpose, I swear. I just thought that I…if I just took her, you would be glad for a female at such short notice."

The contorted face grew even fiercer, his dark beady eyes fixed on the cowering male before him, "So what you mean to say is that you knew she was a miko, yet you brought her here to be ravaged by the demon because you thought I would be glad to have someone to sate the beast at such a short notice? You fool! Bring her here to me now! I need to speak with her and apologize for your bumbling mistake!"

"As you wish, Master Ungai," he bowed several times before heading to the door. Before he stepped out, the young man bowed once more, "Thank you for forgiving me, Master Ungai, I know I have done you wrong and…"

He was cut off by Ungai, "Get out this minute, you insipid fool! I did not say that I have forgiven you for your idiocies. Now leave my sight and fetch that girl!"

Without another word, he left swiftly, not wanting to disappoint Ungai once more. Pattering feet sounded through the room as the monk rushed out, trembling as the full burden of his grievous mistakes was made known to him.

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Alert amber eyes snapped open at the sound of the door to the dungeon creaking as it was slowly opened. The soft creaks emitting from the rusty hinges rang clearly in Sesshoumaru's sharp ears as he suppressed a wince at the grating sound.

Apparently, the miko he had bedded was unaffected by the noise, still slumbering peacefully where he had left her last night. 'Well, at least she's proving to be unfazed by what I did to her, though I can't say the same for myself,' Sesshoumaru mused gravely. The demon had worried his way into a weary sleep the previous night. In fact, he hadn't shut his eyes for more than an hour before the creaking sound of the dungeon doors disturbed him.

The only thing that kept him from sleeping was the fact that he had remained guilty about violating the miko, even if she had accepted him. The honor and pride residing within him would force him to make it up to the girl somehow, but the rational side of him argued that since the girl had accepted him before he took her the previous night, he should be satisfied with how things turned out, even if the actual facts did leave a stain on his honor.

Although Sesshoumaru rarely allowed himself to be affected by something as insignificant as guilt, he acknowledged the fact that this was one of the rare times he felt guilty for doing something he was not supposed to do. Both the fact that he was feeling guilty and the fact that he had actually done something wrong to warrant this guilt, irritated him to no end. Suppressing a frustrated scowl, Sesshoumaru turned fierce amber eyes on the monk that thought to sneak in without his notice.

Sensing the silent stare on his back, the young monk from yesterday winced and rubbed his neck nervously. A cold sweat broke out across his forehead as he inched towards Kagome's unconscious form, hoping that Sesshoumaru hadn't realized that he was moving for her. The monk had been worried about the miko since the moment he threw her into the cell with the demon. Under Ungai' orders, he had come back to the dungeons to attempt to rescue the miko he had wronged. Sesshoumaru, however, wasn't going to give up the innocent miko as easily as the monk had first thought.

Snarling with possessive anger, Sesshoumaru warned the monk from touching his Kagome. Last night's events had somehow changed his perception of the miko and had also, dare he admit it, endeared her to him in a subtle manner. In fact, so subtle that he could barely recognize it for what it was.

The inexperienced monk ran with his tail between his legs. No matter how much he wanted to help the poor miko, whom he had brought to ruin, the demon lord was simply much too intimidating to withstand. Even with the assurance from Ungai fear still gripped him. The youthful monk forgot that Sesshoumaru could never hurt him, not as long as he had the collar on, which had been made especially for him even, before his capture had taken place.

Repressing a silent sigh, Sesshoumaru glanced down at the sweetly sleeping miko and apologized to her silently. 'I may be deemed selfish, but I cannot let you go, even if it means the sacrifice of your happiness. I have yet to figure out why you have taken a liking to occupying my thoughts ever since I met you.'

A beam of morning sunlight shone into the dark dungeon, falling upon the miko's face, and waking her up in the process. A sleepy mumble left her lips so quietly that Sesshoumaru had to focus before he could even hear. "Good morning, Sesshoumaru." Her voice was slurred with sleep and made him crack an amused sort of smile which resembled something closer to the baring of his teeth.

He remained quiet, not deeming her greeting worthy enough for one of his own. Instead, the demon prodded her with his foot, much like he did the day before. "Get up, miko. Dawn is here already." All the answer he got was the graceful yawn that Kagome tried to hide behind her hand, but failed as she snuggled into the soft shirt that Sesshoumaru had placed under her head as a substitution for a pillow.

A little affronted that he had been ignored by the insolent miko, Sesshoumaru reached out with his hand and shook her shoulders. "I said wake up, miko. I do not repeat myself for it is below one of my station," he said disgustedly, wrinkling his aristocratic nose, as clawed hands still insistently tried to force Kagome awake.

With a soft grumble that showed her unwillingness, Kagome finally turned to face him with squinted eyes, her lack of focus clearly showing him that she was still half asleep. "What do you want, Sesshoumaru? Can't it wait? My entire body's sore. I want to sleep," she informed him while her head remained lazily nestled on his shirt. Slowly, she registered the silky material under her cheek as being remarkably similar to the fabric of Sesshoumaru's shirt; it even looked similar. When she realized that Sesshoumaru's torso was bare, Kagome sat up hurriedly with a blush. Ignoring her aching body, she respectfully returned his crumpled shirt back to him, thanking him as she yawned once more. "I would never have made the night without your shirt. It's such a comfortable pillow, thank you for lending it to me."

Nodding his acceptance of her thanks, he donned his shirt, leaving it gaping open to reveal part of his chest. He was rather inclined not to pull on his belt and instead, watch Kagome's embarrassment with the current situation due to his slight show of bare skin. It amused Sesshoumaru, to no end, when he saw the flustered woman-child clearly trying to avoid looking at him. Intent on flustering her more, he said monotonously, "Is there anything I may help you with? You seem to have a tendency to focus your eyes on this Sesshoumaru's body."

Clear cinnamon coloured eyes immediately shifted from his bare chest to his perfectly sculptured face as Kagome huffed indignantly with a soft tint of pink on her cheeks. "I wasn't looking, Sesshoumaru. Your overly egoistical mind was disillusioning you." She was staunch in her protest as she glared at him, somehow attempting to use her eyes to intimidate the demon lord. She was not happy being caught staring. He merely stared back, appearing to be bored with her childish mind games, even as he chuckled mentally. Never had he encountered anyone who dared raise their eyes to his, much less attempt to use their gaze to intimidate him. Nobody intimidated Sesshoumaru, he was the one who did the intimidating.

Blinking slowly, Sesshoumaru chose to break the little staring contest he had been holding with the miko. A small smirk was dying to curl his lips while he tilted his head, eyes seeming to express pure, unadulterated amusement. He found himself unfortunately, slightly smitten with her amusing charm.

"What exactly are you trying to attempt, miko?" Sesshoumaru questioned even though he had knew that Kagome was trying to threaten him. Her endeavor was obviously ineffective since he was currently harboring amusement, and not fear of her.

Stiffening, Kagome turned away from him with a short huff, her chin lifted and her shoulders squared in stubbornness, not wanting to admit her threat had failed even as she felt her cheeks grow warm. She never realized he had such a beautifully masculine face. She had not taken the time to study his features in the short time they had known each other. Since most of their time together had been taken up by their rutting and then sleep. Having her back toward the demon, Kagome did not see his eyes express his laughter so clearly.

Knowing his defiant lips were about to form into a grin, he stopped his silent amusement and formed a frown across his features. He was disinclined to admit it, but he was a little concerned about her continuous silence. He realized, from the first moment they met, that she was not a normally quiet human. He instinctively moved closer, lowering himself toward Kagome so he could ask her why she was holding her tongue when she unexpectedly turned around to face him again. Instead of speaking his intended questions, his beast took over, leaving his mind to wonder off precariously.

Kagome's mouth had just opened to retort to his earlier statement when his mouth came crashing down on hers. His eyes were wide in silent shock when he felt her soft lips mold to his. Kagome pushed her tongue into his mouth, searching and feeling his against her own. Her eyes wide as she slightly gasped in shock and instinctively opened her mouth further, allowing Sesshoumaru to slid his tongue past her lips as he pressed harder against her.

This was a situation that was not familiar to Sesshoumaru and one he had never encountered before. He simply did not know what he was to do in times such as this. To put it bluntly, as he often liked to do, he was at a complete loss as to what to do. This woman was causing him to go into heat again. He could barely restrain his blood. Sesshoumaru willed himself to calm down and think rationally. 'How could one control his beast? What would one normally do when unintentionally kissing a female.' The answer should have been quite simple: remove your lips from hers in an instant.

Unfortunately for him, Sesshoumaru had no desire to let the miko, entangled in his embrace, go. In fact, the demon lord desired to drag her into his arms and kiss her until she was dizzy from the lack of air. In his current state, it would give his beast, and him, a psyche high. He reasoned that it was useless to deny his beast the pleasure of simply kissing the woman, when he perceived it had already taken the liberty of doing so. His eyes flared red-hot, burning for the female in his grasp as his beast finally reared it's head, demanding satisfaction.

Sesshoumaru was adamant in keeping his control over his beast, it would simply not do for it to take Kagome so soon, especially after she had been ravaged mercilessly by him. He wasn't usually indecisive in his actions, but it seemed that it was slowly becoming a problem around the enticing miko. Even as he ravaged her mouth, he was still attempting to gather his scattered thoughts.

'I never would have thought that I would live to see the day where I have succumbed so shamefully to my rut,' Sesshoumaru thought. The crimson burning in his passionate eyes faded back into a sharp amber while a sigh escaped his mouth. He came to realize that he desired this miko even after having taken her only the night before.

Kagome's wide eyes drifted close and her shock slid from her, she reached her hands into his hair and tugged him lower, absorbing the feel of his kiss, even as she became aware of the slightest hint of electricity that arched between them. Her mouth was moving underneath his as she mumbled, "Cinnamon." That was what he tasted of: cinnamon.

Her mumbled word seemed to break the spell of enthrallment that surrounded the tangled couple. Sesshoumaru carefully removed his claws from her tresses as Kagome brought one of her hands to her swollen lips, looking dazed. Her eyes held his, and she sensed hesitant remorse coming from the stoic demon lord who looked at her with a calm gaze. Amber eyes stared unwaveringly at her. After a short pause, Sesshoumaru managed to force words from his uncooperative lips while staring at her painfully tranquil eyes. "I will not apologize, miko. This Sesshoumaru does what he desires, and will not take anyone else into consideration."

Kagome merely nodded with a smile, knowing it was his nature to be this uncaring, and even without having to say the words themselves she forgave him for his harsh words. Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth as he maneuvered himself until he was leaning against the wall. He shut his eyes, ignoring the clenching feeling in his chest, hating that he had to be forgiven by the miko. Even though he adamantly told himself that he had done nothing to warrant her forgiveness, he knew otherwise and that fact made him feel wretched.

The tensed silence was broken when the young monk, from earlier that morning, entered the cell. His wary eyes were glued onto Sesshoumaru, just in case he made any sudden movements. Or just in case the demon lord decided to decapitate him on a moment's notice. "Miko," he started respectfully, he forced his eyes away from Sesshoumaru and instead focused them on the floor at Kagome's feet, "If you would follow me, Master Ungai has requested to meet with you, and after that, you will be allowed to bathe and eat before returning into the cell. Master Ungai wishes to have a chance to explain your presence here with the filthy demon in hope that you will understand his predicament."

Sesshoumaru allowed a deep rumble to rise from his throat, eyes threatening to flood with an angry red, as he turned to face the frightened monk and the mostly calm Kagome. It wasn't that his beast was thirsting for Kagome's body again, it was just that she was his bitch, and his more bestial side absolutely refused to relinquish anything that belonged to him. Especially not to the one who locked him in this dingy cell. "Please extend my regrets to your Master, but I do not wish to be in his presence. I trust that food will still be brought into the cell for both Sesshoumaru and I?" Kagome asked with awkward politeness as she looked at the monk, daring him to refute anything she said while not sure if the young man before her deserved the harsh attitude she was exuding.

"Everything shall be done and Master Ungai will be alerted to your request. The food will arrive shortly, along with a wooden pail for you to empty your waste in." The monk managed to say it all without stammering as he felt Sesshoumaru's angry stare burning holes at the back of his skull and Kagome's stirring irritation.

"Thank you, you may leave now," she said with a slight smile, her head inclining gracefully. As the monk turned to leave with a feeling of foreboding and guilt surrounding him, Kagome turned to Sesshoumaru and pretended she didn't notice his red orbs. "Sesshoumaru, he actually doesn't seem that bad, just a little spineless. He's not one of the two monks who assaulted you, is he? I didn't sense any malice in his aura."

It was a while before Kagome was graced with the almighty demon lord's answer. "You are correct in your assumption, miko." Sesshoumaru said as he concentrated on ignoring his earlier anger, and letting the red in his eyes slowly retreated. He wasn't about to explain that his reaction was to the monk attempting to remove his miko instead of anything done to his person.

Sighing, Kagome moved to sit closer to the demon lord, her shredded garb held tightly around her body as she lowered her lashes humbling herself before him. "Look, Sesshoumaru, being silent is not going to work seeing as I'll be spending a long period of time here with you. So how about we stop hiding behind masks and get to know each other better? That way, we can protect each other if the enemy decides to harm either of us."

Holding back a scoff, Sesshoumaru painted a sneer onto his face as he said haughtily, "I doubt we'll be protecting each other much, miko. The only one they want is me, and once I am dead, you'll be free to go. Even if you did have the slightest chance of getting hurt, what makes you think that this Sesshoumaru would aid you?"

Either ignoring his sarcasm or completely missing it, Kagome cheerily said with a smile on her face, "That's because I'm a female, and unfortunately, you are in rut. You could attempt to relieve yourself, but that isn't plausible since you're too proud and it won't bring a satisfying gratification given your rut. It may, however, take the edge off the need, maybe. Well, you do have the other opinion, which is to die, but I doubt you would want to do that."

At the end of her little speech, Sesshoumaru didn't know whether to laugh or to get angry at her audacity. Suggesting that he would ever touch himself was atrocious. Why would he need to when there were females surrounding him every minute of the day? Though it was a little impossible to have anyone other than Kagome since he was locked in a dungeon, which happened to be under holy ground where no demon would ever venture. Settling on a neutral emotion, Sesshoumaru turned to face her with a stoic face as he merely murmured, "Hnn."

Rolling her eyes with childish impatience, Kagome said, "Fine, if you don't want to start, then I will. My name is Higurashi Kagome. I'm turning eighteen next moon cycle. I have a mother and an elder brother back home. I left my village because a wandering miko came along and wanted to stay." Pausing in thought Kagome tapped a finger to her chin. "And…oh yeah! I like the colors white and pink. I like dogs too." She blushed at Sesshoumaru's arched eyebrows and quickly changed her choice of words. "I mean pet dogs."

Sesshoumaru fought back a grin as the sides of his lips twitched, aching to break into a smirk. "Well, if you insist on doing this," Kagome nodded furiously as she blinked, a look of sheer determination crossing her face, "then I have no choice but to agree. My name is Sesshoumaru. I am three hundred and sixty-four years of age. I have only one living relative, my imbecile hanyou half-brother who is currently a nomad. I was tightening security around my lands when I was caught unawares by the monks. And I don't believe there's anything I like."

Kagome could only gape at the dignified lord as she stuttered in disbelief, "You what? How can you not like anything?"

Leveling a cool gaze at the miko, who sat beside him fervently protesting his lack of interests, Sesshoumaru pulled his lips up to show his sharp fangs in a grin as he murmured, "I don't see how this Sesshoumaru not liking anything would be an impact on your life, or anything related to you for that matter."

Pressing her lips together, Kagome looked a little confused as she continued without acknowledging his words. "But don't you like playing games? Or sparring, fighting; whatever it is you demon lords do?" She questioned, head tilted and nose scrunching up, as she thought hard about other things that the demon lord may like to do as a past time.

"Playing games? Sparring and fighting?" Sesshoumaru echoed in disbelief as he immediately sought to straighten the wayward facts that Kagome held about him, "Firstly, playing games is something that demon lords never do. Not even as a pup. And secondly, I only enjoy sparring with a good partner once in a while, but fighting is a different matter all together. Fighting is something that I do only when necessary. Like when someone is in my way, when I have to protect what is rightfully mine, and when I wish to expand my territory. Understand?"

"Hai, I understand," Kagome answered a little sheepishly, realizing she had inadvertently insulted the proud demon lord when she had asked him such seemingly foolish questions.

As if reading her thoughts, Sesshoumaru gave a barely noticeable sigh before running a clawed hand through his silken locks. It was something he only did when he was troubled or confused, which seemed to be a frequent situation that occurred nowadays. "Miko, do not look so…" he could not seem to find a word to describe her current expression, "…unusual. I am not used to seeing such a look of slight remorse on your features. There is nothing to be remorseful about and it is foolish for you to feel this way."

Giggling suddenly, Kagome nodded with a sweet smile on her face. "You know, Sesshoumaru, you're actually a nice person after all."

Arching an eyebrow at her, Sesshoumaru's lips pressed themselves into a thin line as he warned her, "Do not make assumptions of someone you have only known for such a short time. That is not a wise thing to do, miko."

Kagome grinned cheerfully as she waved her hand to dismiss his concern, and to also prove her point, "Ha! I told you that you're a nice person. If you weren't nice, then you wouldn't have bothered to warn me of such a trivial thing as trusting you. Besides, you're more trustworthy than anyone else here. Give me a suitable reason why I shouldn't place my trust in you. Sure, I may often be a bit naïve, but I have impeccable taste when choosing the people to place my trust in." She was indignant at this point, but her tone turned serious, "You are definitely no different from any other that I have trusted in."

"You foolish girl. You ask what is different about trusting me like others of your acquaintance. Well for starters, I am a demon, not a human. In addition to that is my title as Lord of the Western Lands, that hardly makes me the kind of person you would usually trust. Am I correct?" Sesshoumaru sneered, fully expecting the little miko to agree with what he had said, for every word was true in his opinion and she would be more foolish for refusing to believe his words.

To his slight disgruntlement, Kagome calmly rocked herself moved as she began to explain to him in soft, measured tones, "Look Sesshoumaru, face it, you're trustworthy. Stop feeling inferior." Kagome thought that if speaking in this manner, Sesshoumaru would be more inclined to see things from her point of view.

Scoffing, Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at her. "_Feeling inferior_? Hardly. What reasons would this Sesshoumaru have to feel inferior in the presence such a lowly being as yourself? You humans are always talking about things you will never understand. All I am trying to say is that you should not trust me so easily. I may be planning to do some unscrupulous deed to you."

What the demon lord did not expect was an act of pure defiance from the small, yet shapely miko as she suddenly exploded, "Damnit! It's my personal instinct okay?! I am sure that you won't come up with some plan to harm me! Isn't that enough?"

Sesshoumaru was a little stunned by her outburst and merely looked at her silently, not knowing what he could say to contradict her. He had laid the truths about himself right in front of her, and yet she had chosen to ignore them. There was nothing he could do about that.

Kagome took a deep breath. In a calmer and more reasonable voice she continued, "Look, I know you are doing this for my own good, but can't you just accept the fact that you are someone I am comfortable with? Comfortable enough to trust wholeheartedly?"

He was about to retort when a flash of red passed through his amber eyes, causing him to shake his head in an attempt to get rid of the slight dizziness caused.

Watching him closely for his answer, Kagome caught the red pulsing within his eyes. She witnessed the color spread, retract a little, and then continue onward. With a sudden jolt of worry and dread, Kagome knew that his blood beast was clawing at the edges of his control again. Reaching out for him, she brought him into her embrace only to have him jerk violently away from her.

A raspy voice ripped from his throat, "Get away from me! Your foolish trust is misplaced! If you refuse to back away, I have no guarantees that you will be able to get out of this."

Kagome shook her head insistently as she replied, "No! I refuse to back away! Not when you are like this. I promised myself that I would see you safely through these attacks and I will. Mark my words."

Sesshoumaru attempted to glare at her through the haze of red that clouded his vision, but he was unable to as he gasped inaudibly, fighting the need to curl into himself as intense pleasure flashed through his body, rendering him temporarily paralyzed. "If I hurt you…" He broke off in mid-growl as another cramp of pleasure wracked his weakened body. The attack was much more ferocious this time, for unknown reasons. Perhaps, the argument had drained what was left of his meager strength from last night. Another strangled growl left his twisted lips as his clawed hands reached up to the collar around his neck and tugged uselessly, draining even more of his energy as he remained prostrate on the cold ground.

"Sesshoumaru!" Her tone clearly conveyed her distressed as she wrapped her arms around him. "C'mon, you can stay strong! I believe in you. Overcome that lust of yours. I know you can do it." Kagome let out a wince as she accidentally stretched sore muscles from last night, but she remained steadfast through her own aches, encouraging Sesshoumaru to pull through this attack.

Said demon lord froze at her wince and suddenly sat up, gleaming ruby eyes looking a tad worried as they roamed her body, making sure that her pain wasn't serious. Frowning, he noticed many parts of her body was also bruised. With a soft purr, Sesshoumaru pushed her gently on her back, pushing her ragged clothing off her shoulders, baring the soft skin to his hungry gaze as he watched how she looked at him from under long lashes with apprehensive, yet determined, eyes. Emitting a rumbling growl, he nuzzled her cheek affectionately as he murmured in a bestial voice, that differed greatly from his normally smooth baritone, "Don't worry. Relax. Only wish to sooth aches. Your aches." Kagome peered at him trustingly and nodded as she pulled the clothing completely from her torso, exposing her bare chest to his appreciative gaze.

Carefully, Sesshoumaru began lapping at the small cuts and bruises he had inflicted on her body from the night before. His tongue flicked out and licked at a shallow graze where he had bared his fangs against her delicate skin. Making sure that was fully healed, he then moved on to the bruises peppering her pale body, smoothing them over with his tongue as he laved his thick saliva on them to ensure their fast healing.

When he finished the final cut on her left hip, which had been left by one of his claws, he looked directly into her eyes, asking permission to remove the rest of her clothing. Giving a shy nod, Kagome blushed lightly as his clawed hands proceeded to gently pull her pants off, caressing the bare skin that was being revealed. Squirming at the soft touches he was bestowing on her, Kagome let out soft mewls through parted cherry red lips as she squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted to savor the light brushes of his fingers over her body.

Throwing her garments off to one side, Sesshoumaru started from her toes, laving every scrape on her legs tenderly, careful not to aggravate the petty injuries. "Hold still," his husky voice intoned as she stilled for barely a moment before shifting again.

Her movements simply could not be controlled when he was of such close proximity to her. Blunt teeth bit into her lower lip, leaving the impression of her teeth on the soft skin as she murmured haltingly, "I-I can't, Sesshoumaru. I really can't."

By now, the demon lord was rubbing his cheek against the curve of her hip, purring contentedly as his eyes steadily darkened into a blood red, seeming to enjoy the way she wiggled shyly under his tight hold, careful to not leave new bruises her fragile body. Almost lazily, his nose brushed a tingling path across her hip bone, snuffling into her tight curls. Smirking with male satisfaction, Sesshoumaru inhaled the mixed scent of his little miko and himself, savoring the fragrance as he unconsciously bared his fangs in a show of possession. Lowering his head even further into her center, Kagome gave a keening mewl as the demon lord dragged his unusually long inu tongue over her slit slowly, leisurely enjoying the way her body trembled. Delving deeper, Sesshoumaru tasted virgin blood and rumbled in displeasure, for even though the blood scent was lovely, he did not like the idea of hurting the little miko even for his own enjoyment.

Pushing his tongue deep within her, Kagome writhed helplessly under his touch. Sesshoumaru encountered more blood; he had torn her in his heat last night. It was nearly unavoidable, for someone of his girth and length would literally have to force himself into someone as small as Kagome. Though her petite stature gifted her with an exquisite tightness he could never get enough of, that very same gift would hurt her as he pushed himself deep into her depths repeatedly. Although he wasn't doing that now, Sesshoumaru knew such a thing was going to be nearly unavoidable in the future. He had done the unthinkable and had let himself grow addicted to the feel of her.

He could distinctly taste her clear fluid coming from between her folds now, and he ate her ravenously with an insatiable appetite. Repeatedly he plunged his tongue within her to draw out more of her sweet juices to feast on. Sesshoumaru was eating her so harshly that he feared his fangs would cut her, but no matter the reasons he gave himself, he couldn't stop hungrily devouring her. Kagome's hips were arched even with his attempts to hold them down as she cried softly, the killing pleasure ripping through her veins like lightening. To Sesshoumaru, it was no longer just the innocent healing of the injuries he had inflicted upon her the night before. Instead, he was assuaging his hunger for her fragile body and, at the same time, providing her with mind numbing pleasure.

"Sesshou…Sesshoumaru!" She gasped, body twisting hard as a gush of wetness slicked her inner thighs and stained Sesshoumaru's cheeks, making them gleam in the dim light provided by the little window. He lifted his head to smirk at her in bestial satisfaction at the pleasure he had given her.

Kagome murmured quietly as her limbs trembled from the aftershocks, "I've never felt anything like that before."

Sesshoumaru licked her clean leisurely. Murmuring in a husky voice, "And no other male shall ever touch you the way I have, little miko." The deep red of his eyes lightened into a soft pink that slowly faded back into amber.

Before she could say anything, footsteps from outside the cell could be heard as Sesshoumaru's eyes burned red once more. Kagome squeaked and hurriedly sat from her prone position as she frantically struggled to put her clothes on. Sesshoumaru leaned over her and helped to hastily wrap her body with what remained of her miko garments, which were becoming filthy with lack of proper care. Wiping his mouth on his sleeve, the lord tugged Kagome into his lap, a sure sign of his possessiveness. She belonged to him, and as he waited impatiently for the footsteps to arrive, he prayed to whatever god would listen to a demon like him, that they weren't here to take Kagome away from him. For he recognized their scent, the disgusting unwashed scents that belonged to his two torturers from a few days ago. Unlike the young monk from this morning, the other two weren't as averse to using the collar to subdue him.

Holding Kagome even closer to him, he buried his nose into her hair and nuzzled her gently, willing to be the victim of the monks' painful torture as long as Kagome would remain by his side.

(A/N: Hey, was it nice? I think it was a little short...hmm. Tell me what you think about it, 'kay?)


	4. Chapter 4: To be Shamed

(A/N: Sorry for deleting 'Kagome Loves Holidays'. I realized what a flop it was and decided to reinvent the whole thing. It'll still have the same title, but a different storyline. I hope you'll all be patient with me and support me when my story is revived. For now, I want to concentrate on this story and I hope you guys will continue reading it. Thanks for your support! Enjoy!)

Summary:

Sesshoumaru has been captured, and to make matters worst, he is about to go into his first rut. Kagome, a traveling miko, is kidnapped to serve as his outlet so his beast wouldn't escape in a lustful rage.

To Fall into Rut

Chapter 4: To be Shamed

Clanking sounds rang throughout the small cell, echoing over and over again as the sounds of rusty hinges grinding against each other pierced Sesshoumaru's sensitive ears painfully. He was crouched over Kagome's form protectively, as the two monks who had inflicted torture on him a few days ago strode into the cell he was currently imprisoned in, throwing disdainful looks his way as they noticed how he used his body to shield the miko's revealing one from their perverted glances. One of them drawled disdainfully, "We aren't interested in her, demon. But it is only for now. Currently, we are too busy thinking of all the lovely ways to rip you apart mentally, emotionally, and physically."

The other monk continued as he shared a not-so-secretive leer with his partner, "Of course, we aren't _totally _immune to a woman's charm; especially since that miko in your arms looks exceptionally delectable." He licked his lips and taunted Kagome, "How would you like for some real whipping on that rounded ass, slut? I bet you'll like it."

Kagome's hazel eyes were wide and frightened, her limbs trembling from exhaustion and fear so strong that she felt bile rising in her throat. "Please," she begged, enclosed within the protective circle of Sesshoumaru's arms, "don't harm him. I'll do anything you ask me to, just please don't torture him."

Sesshoumaru remained tensed as the monk, who had started the taunting earlier on, bared his blunt human teeth at her in a sinister smile that allowed her to smell the unwashed scent of his breath, "You think to bargain with me, miko? Do you want my touch that much? I'd indulge your dirty body right now, but I still have an annoying demon lord to take care of first. So just sit still and watch as we degrade his _perfect_ body before your very eyes. Don't worry, whore; we'll do the same to you later. It turns you on doesn't it? I know it does. I can smell the sweet, tantalizing scent of your arousal."

A loud roar suddenly shook the cell as Sesshoumaru's eyes bled red in anger at the tone they had taken with _his_ bitch. At that, the other male turned to focus his full attention on Sesshoumaru as a sneer twisted his lips hideously, "So eager for torture are you, demon filth? I'm feeling particularly gracious today, so I shall indulge you." With that, he and his partner unceremoniously dragged Sesshoumaru a little further away from where Kagome lay and begun to have their fun with the most magnificent specimen of a demon male.

At first, Sesshoumaru growled and snapped at them as they tried to wrench him away from Kagome, but soon, a familiar lethargy took over his senses and he knew without a doubt that Ungai's blasted collar was draining his youki. Sesshoumaru thought only the monks and their power had the ability to accomplish such a feat, but he had obviously been wrong in his assumptions. Losing the strength to fight, Sesshoumaru's muscles slowly relaxed as drowsiness threatened to take his consciousness away. Wearily, he registered a distant scream as small hands tried to grab him away from his captors, to no avail. His eyes were only half open as he saw the blurred form of Kagome reaching for him through the inky darkness that was engulfing his vision. Even so, he did not completely lose all consciousness; he still felt the frightened gaze of Kagome frantically roving over his unmoving body.

Kagome could only watch helplessly as the cruel monks dragged his heavy body across the cell and chained him to the wall to keep him upright, it also provided Kagome with a better view of how they were going to degrade his body with torture. Shaking her head desperately, Kagome bit her lip till the luscious flesh bled as she cried softly to herself, "Stop this. Please, someone…anyone, save him."

Even through his drowsiness, Sesshoumaru could hear the heartbreaking sobs of Kagome's despair and tried to reach out to her to comfort her. He focused, trying to sharpen his blurred vision so that he could see her clearly. Before his hand could even reach towards her, one of the monks slammed the base of his staff onto the back of his head, knocking him out completely for a moment as he slumped against the wall, his head fell limp and his chin brushed lightly against his chest. His silver hair fell over his cheeks, shielding his face from the others. A bruise blossomed slowly over his neck, at the area of contact with the staff, and it stood out in stark contrast against his porcelain skin.

The monk responsible for it let a perverse smirk stretch his lips maniacally, while Kagome felt numb at witnessing the cruelty being done to Sesshoumaru. She watched in horror as one of the men uncoiled a long length of a leather whip that looked worn and well-used. "Sesshoumaru," she gasped in worry, her knuckles white as she twisted her hands in the edges of her robe helplessly.

As if he had heard her barely audible whisper, the monk who had knocked Sesshoumaru out turned to Kagome and grinned, a sinister parody of something that was meant to convey happiness. He indicated the suspended body of Sesshoumaru and laughed in dark amusement, "I personally think the demon filth looks a lot better roughed up. What do you think?"

Tears rose unbidden into her eyes as she flinched at the first crack of the whip against the flawless pale skin of Sesshoumaru's back. She stared in wide-eyed horror as the gold tinted red blood started to flow in rivulets down his back. Kagome could only shake her head repeatedly in denial of the monk's words as hot tears trailed continuously down her cheeks, which had drained of color, as another loud crack of the whip striking against flesh echoed hollowly through the dungeon. He writhed with the burning pain that refused to go away without the immediate healing his youki provided. His body twisted and turned in the chains holding him as he thrashed around in his bindings, his base instinct screaming at him to escape the pain, to destroy the source of the agony.

"Sesshoumaru!" She screamed in helpless desperation, scrambling towards his unconscious body without thinking of her own safety first; pushing aside one of the monks who held no resistance against her in his temporary shock at the fact that she had dared to launch at the demon in worry, even at the risk of angering them further. Kagome reached Sesshoumaru's body and hugged his injured one to hers tightly, careful not to aggravate his wounds as she murmured senseless apologies into the sharp shell of his elfin ears while cradling his head soothingly. The monk who was pushed aside fell to the floor; face blank in utter confusion at her audacity as the other male let out a primal growl of insignificant human fury at her daring act of defiance. In his anger, the monk ignored her soft, desperate whispers and wrenched her away from her demon lord by the back of the robe she wore loosely, causing the cloth to slide off one side of her slender shoulders. Slamming into the opposite wall near Sesshoumaru, Kagome cried out at the wrenching pain that tore at the shoulder that had hit the wall. A loud crack not unlike the sound of the whip hitting Sesshoumaru's flesh rang out once more, except this time it was she who was injured.

The ominous crack rang clear in Sesshoumaru's sharp ears brought him from his unconsciousness as he realized that the vile vermin had thrown Kagome against the wall, causing the shoulder that had collided with the stone wall to dislocate due to the extreme force the monk had used. Even Kagome herself seemed to be aware of this morbidly horrifying fact as she sat where she had landed, dazed as her unhurt hand fluttered over her dislocated shoulder in a breezy caress.

Eyes that were slowly turning a dull red blazed with bright crimson once more as a roar shook the dungeon's foundation, "How dare you touch what's mine!" The bestial voice that emerged from Sesshoumaru's raw throat was harsh and induced strong fear into the hearts of the two monks who were both suspended in motion, even though he could do nothing to them while tied up. The one who had been pushed by Kagome still lay in the same position in which he had landed in earlier on, while the other monk stared in surprise at the hand that he had used to fling the miko away from the demon filth. Red-hot anger burned through Sesshoumaru's veins, and he found himself baring his fangs uselessly as he strained against his manacles. They didn't give way under his feeble strength since his youki was still being steadily drawn out of him with the use of Ungai's collar. Sesshoumaru cursed the predicament he was in and continued to strain fruitlessly against his bindings although he already knew it was of no use. Another deep, rumbling growl tore itself viciously from his throat and that managed to snap Kagome from her dazed.

Her trembling voice stopped his fervent growls. "I'm fine, Sesshoumaru." As Kagome said this, she slowly stood from the spot where she had landed when she was pushed away by one of the monks and straightened herself carefully. A sharp pain wrenched through her injured shoulder at her fruitless attempts to straighten the arm she cradled gingerly. Eventually, Kagome left her arm curled on her chest and adjusted her robe clumsily to ensure that her shoulder was clothed once more. She tried once again to reason with the monks who still remained motionless, "Why do you need to always make him suffer anyway? What did he ever do to you?"

As her pleading voice filtered through their shocked minds, the two men twisted their lips wryly as one replied, "Apart from killing our comrades in cold blood you mean? Oh, I guess he didn't do much except for that." His voice was saturated with hatred as he continued, "Must he kill us before we have the right to make him suffer for his past actions?"

Kagome bit her lip at this, and mulled that thought for a while before answering them, "Perhaps it's true that Sesshoumaru has killed your friends mercilessly before, but have you thought about his side of the story? What if you were in his shoes and were being attacked? Would you have just let your enemies capture you and use you for their own sadistic enjoyment without even fighting back?" She bit back a sigh, and then seemed to grow in vigor as she continued to lecture the monks in a stern tone, "I know I wouldn't have done so and I'm glad that Sesshoumaru had the sense to protect himself against human beasts such as you."

Even thought he was almost lost to the beast that raged inside the confines of his consciousness, Sesshoumaru hissed out a warning, his voice deep and gravelly as he struggled with the weakness in his limbs, "Do not provoke them, miko."

Turning to face him, Kagome shrugged defiantly in response, wincing a little when she inadvertently moved her injured shoulder, determined to prove his innocence as she exclaimed, "But it's true!"

Forgetting the excruciating pain of his damnable injuries, Sesshoumaru's eyes glowed with his fury at her lack of common sense. "Even so!"

The harsh growl was unexpected and caused Kagome to blanch a little. Blinking at him in disbelief at his rough tone, she stayed there for what seemed like eternity before slowly backing away from him and his captors into the furthest wall of the dungeon. Finally silencing the tirade she had intended to unleash upon the two men as she realized the folly of her actions; she may have become somewhat friendly acquaintances with the dangerous demon lord, or so she would like to think, but in this weak state he was in no position to even remotely try to stop them from hurting her should they choose to, and her actions would have invited their wrath had the demon lord allowed her to continue any further than she had already.

Bringing her knees up to rest under her chin, Kagome felt foolish for even attempting such an idiotic thing as she stared quietly at the frozen scene in front of her with a thoughtful gaze. 'What on earth possessed me to do such a half-witted thing?' She was pretty horrified at what she had done after sitting down to actually think about it. Kagome didn't dare to think what they were going to do with her for her outrageous audacity.

By then, the two monks had recovered from their temporary stasis and were sneering at Kagome with renewed disdain. "You've just signed your own death warrant, miko. Escaping from here unscathed is no longer an option for you." She stared at them with wide, frightened eyes as her body trembled with unbridled fear. She had a feeling that the whipping of Sesshoumaru was only a small sample of their cruelty.

Seeing her tremors of fear, Sesshoumaru cursed under his breath as he pulled harder at his constraints, almost desperate to be next to Kagome; to pull her into his arms and comfort her from the fear that she exuded as was his right. 'That foolish girl. I warned her about riling the anger of those insipid fools, yet she refused to listen,' he seethed inwardly. Finding a seemingly unending well of strength within himself he drew it up and used it to continually push at his bindings. As if forgetting the fact that Sesshoumaru still lay within their reach of torture, the two men started towards Kagome with identical expressions of perverted pleasure at the thought of ruining her body with the coarse whip one of them held in his hands. The whip was still wet with the shimmering blood of Sesshoumaru's which had clung onto the leather, staunchly staining it without hope of getting it removed.

Kagome bit her lip painfully and curled into herself, hoping naively that it would hurt less if she made herself a smaller target for them to hit. Watching the men cross the dungeon towards the corner where Kagome lay huddled in blind fear caused dread to sink heavily into Sesshoumaru's heart, making him wish he was the one who was going to get whipped, even though he knew the pain it would cause. It was precisely because he knew how much it would hurt that he wanted to bear the pain for the selfless miko who had given herself to him last night out of sheer obligation.

The man who held the whip stopped in front of Kagome as the other one grabbed her by her thick locks roughly, throwing her flat on her face. As her hair was pulled, Kagome made a frightened yelping sound at the back of her throat. Sesshoumaru could only watch her being manhandled helplessly, there was nothing the weakened demon lord could have done to save her. Before she had a chance to straighten herself, the whip was already descending, on its way to tear through the human miko's delicate skin. Kagome's fear was almost palpable in the air, and Sesshoumaru swore he tasted the bitter emotion at the tip of his very own tongue.

A crack rang out, louder than any of those by far, and then there was a pause, a blissful, silent pause clear of any cracking lashes as a piercing scream rent the still air along with a ferocious roar before three more rapid lashes followed, echoing through the dungeon as Kagome slumped on the grimy ground. She couldn't even make a single sound, each lash shredding her delicate skin and driving her breath from her. The muscles in her body and limbs were limp. Lying on the ground and jerking each time the whip smacked across her back, tearing open her clothing. The way her body moved made her appear like a comical marionette. After the three rapid lashes, she was spared a short reprieve. Kagome's mouth opened silently, her throat frantically working to produce a sound, but failing to do so. She could feel her blood seep from the rents on her back sticking to the tattered remains of her borrowed clothing.

A small shriek was torn from her sore throat when another five lashes descended upon her bleeding back, tearing her skin into ribbons of flesh that stung so badly that Kagome was on the brink of madness as her glazed eyes rolled into the back of her head, showing only the whites. Her body shuddered when it wasn't jerking with the force of being whipped.

At that moment, Kagome could not control her human body any longer and she wet herself, the putrid smell of her urine pooled on the dirty floor alongside her blood, disgusting the monks. They taunted her mercilessly, saying cruel things, "Let's see how much your demon lord would care for you after he witnesses your pathetic human failings." Chuckling maliciously the monk continued, "You're body isn't exactly as delectable as before either. Then again he is in heat he'll probably fuck you while you're bleeding and broken anyway."

Kagome continued shaking uncontrollably, dazed brown eyes rising to catch Sesshoumaru's red gaze as her eyes pleaded silently, desperately with him; begged him to do whatever he could to save her from this hell she had gotten herself into. He struggled hard, blinking away the moistness that had risen unbidden to his eyes at the pitiful sight that lay in front of him. Instead of scorning her lack of control, he felt an insane urge to protect the girl from such insignificant inconveniences. He could hardly expect her to suffer through what she had and endure it the way he did, she was after all merely human, and she had done remarkably well desist that.

None in that cell noticed that as her blood flowed freely down her ravaged back and onto the ground. Sesshoumaru's shimmering blood that was still fresh on the leather whip mixed with the blood from her wound, the whip having cut viciously into her flesh leaving strips of skin hanging off of her in tattered ribbons.

Unable to even twist her body in an attempt to ease the pain on her back, she could only resort to the last solution that she had. "Sesshoumaru," her quietly hoarse voice finally stuttered out, after the vicious onslaught had ended and she been allowed to catch her breath; the uttering of his name, was a silent prayer to the demon lord for help, as a fine sheen of cold perspiration coated her forehead.

What a normal human could not have possibly heard was picked up by Sesshoumaru with ease. But her words took some time to sink into his mind as his consciousness was nearly consumed by his feral beast, that roared in anger at the actions done to hurt their bitch. Despite the steady drain of his youki, his beast was unaffected by the weakness as it was an entirely different source of power all on its own, one that resided deep in Sesshoumaru, it was his reserve of strength and not the youki he used most of the time. This source wasn't readily available once his youki was lost, however, only when there was a dire need for it, will the strength of his beast rise to his aid. As his beast came to the fore front of his consciousness, Sesshoumaru's crimson eyes pulsed twice, before glowing inhumanly vivid in its intensity as a howl tore itself from his throat, declaring the presence of his beast.

Another roar shook the cell's foundations and caused the unholy men to crouch down where they stood, hands sweaty from fear covered their ears as they turned momentarily deaf. Sesshoumaru heaved heavily at his bindings, the thick iron chains rattled as the nails holding them to the wall clattered out of their rightful places with the force of the demon lord's wrench, and with a final rattle the manacles broke from the wall with showers of dust flying through the air.

The second he was freed, Sesshoumaru reached Kagome in a blur of movement. His lean muscled arms cradling her lightly convulsing body carefully, making sure not to aggravate the long, ugly cuts marring her back. He whipped his head towards the monks. Sesshoumaru's vestige steadily paled to a ghostly white as his blood rushed to his horrifyingly widening eyes, darkening the red there, his lips peeled themselves back to reveal impossibly elongated fangs that threatened to pierce right through his lips. "You bastards!" He snarled, long tapered fingers curling into vicious claws that he used to strike out at the two men, raking their faces deeply, mercilessly. "Don't you dare touch what's mine ever again."

The men clutched frantically at their ruined faces, feeling the disfiguration of their features as their expressions froze into irrepressible shock. Instead of retaliating, the monks hurriedly scrambled backwards, hands held tight against their bleeding faces in an attempt to stem the vigorous blood flow. Their beady eyes were a stark contrast against the sickly pallid colour of their faces, especially with the dark blood coating half of it. Without a backward glance, they fled the cell, remembering only at the last moment to securely lock the gate to the dungeon lest the demon lord chose that moment to escape with the precious, but injured bundle in his arms.

Sesshoumaru's bright crimson eyes stalked the retreat of the monks carefully; his muscles tensed and ready to retaliate against any attacks from the monks in case they wanted revenge for his retribution. After they left the cell, one turned back to snarl at the demon lord and his miko bitch, spittle flying from his seething lips. "Mark my words," he said maliciously, holding his injured cheek, "you won't get away with this, demon filth! And when we're done with our revenge, we'll leave you to watch us defile the girl. The shameful woman, who calls herself a miko, shall be erased from this earth for allowing her pure body to be tainted by your demonic seed. We will not allow monsters to spawn from her womb!" With that last declaration, the monk followed the other male to leave. What he said was the very last sentence he would utter as Sesshoumaru laid Kagome back onto the ground and leapt at the unsuspecting male whom had his back foolishly turned towards Sesshoumaru.

With a feral growl that rang clear even though his face was stonily calm, Sesshoumaru reached through the bars of his prison and ripped his bloody claws through the human's back, killing him in a single, terrifying blow that tore his body into three bloodied parts. The air seemed to stop moving before the butchered carcass of the human monk fell, making an awful squishy sound as the soft wet innards met the dirt covered ground, followed by three solid thumps of the dissected body. The remaining monk screamed; a high-pitched sound of abject terror deafening the demon lord.

Sesshoumaru frowned at the source of the sound in displeasure. Sesshoumaru would have eliminated the source of his dislike had the monk not been too far for him to reach through the bars, and with his youki still being drained he could not have possibly used his poison whip on the foolish monk. The remaining monk was free to flee in blind terror, eyeballs bulging out obscenely from the fear coursing through his veins.

Watching him leave, Sesshoumaru's body grew steadily lethargic, his beast slowly withdrawing back into the confines of his mind as he blinked away the spots that danced across his vision. "Kagome." He whispered her name as he turned in her direction, arms outreached to hold her in them in a surge of sudden affection as he moved back towards her. Using his body to shield the gruesome scene, as she had not seen what had happened due to her position on the ground.

Kagome still lay there; face deeply flushed with embarrassment despite the pain in her back growing fierier. "Stay back! I don't want you to see me like this." Her weak voice trembled with her effort to speak firmly, but the words she spoke had been enough to stop the proud demon male in his tracks. The mutilated flesh on her back throbbed in a steady pulse adding to her agony.

Gritting his sharp teeth in annoyance, he said fiercely, "Don't be ignorant. If I don't care for your wounds, you are going to bleed to death!"

Kagome flinched, eyes shadowed as she remembered how he had reprimanded her earlier on too. She kept silent, not knowing what else to say for she knew he spoke the truth, yet she was adamantly unwilling for the powerful demon lord to see her in such a shamefully human state.

Reaching out, he gently moved her hair to one side and caressed the back of her neck soothingly. "I'm not going to scorn you for what you cannot possibly hope to change," he told her reasonably, his deep baritone washing over her injured body, easing the pain with the beauty of his voice. Even though she was reassured by Sesshoumaru's tone, she still carried reservations about letting him tend to her wounds. By now, her blood had stained the dungeon's ground, the thick red rivulets soaking into the dirt as her wounds began to slowly clot.

'Her wounds are not clotting fast enough,' Sesshoumaru realized, claws biting sharply into his palms as he watched Kagome with narrowed, worried eyes. The thin lashes on his back had clotted earlier and were already white scars that were slowly disappearing to form flawless porcelain skin. Kagome's back, on the contrary, still sported vivid red slashes that pulsed with a large amount of blood still flowing from it. The strips of skin that hung from the cuts needed to be removed. The monk was hardly worried about her survival when he lashed her. Sesshoumaru knew instinctively that if her bleeding did not stop soon, she was going to bleed to death.

"Miko, why were you so foolish as to bring the monks' wretched attention upon yourself?" Sesshoumaru was curious, he had never seen such acts of idiocy before.

Laughing humorlessly, Kagome answered, "Isn't it obvious? I did it so that they would no longer shower their hateful intentions upon you."

Sesshoumaru's thick eyelashes swept down to cover his eyes as he thought about what she had just said to him. "What did you do that for? I heal faster than you," he said, pulling his shirt carefully off her shoulders, watching her wince as the dried blood pulled at her wounds where the shirt had stuck, and down her arms until it was completely off her. Once his shirt was no longer in the way, he tore her already ripped miko garment into strips which he then used to dab at the edges of her wound. Manipulating his clawed hands carefully lest he accidentally slip and cut her even deeper.

Scoffing, Kagome's tensed muscles slowly relaxed under his gentle ministrations as she sighed softly, "But, with your youki gone, you heal like a human. So I figured, better me than you. You are already weak from that collar." Silence reigned for a while after that. Words hung unspoken between them; she did it because he was her lord and she was fulfilling a duty to him.

The long silence continued until Sesshoumaru broke it suddenly, "I don't want you to feel like you have a duty to me. Because you don't." He was displeased that everything she did for him was done out of obligation and not because she simply wanted to. Yes, he was indeed a selfish demon, but he just couldn't shake that selfish wish away.

Kagome smiled and murmured, "I never felt that way, but if it helps, then okay." She did not know if what she did for him was out of obligation or out of want and if it was the latter, why would she feel that way? The emotions he aroused in her were too confusing and this was only the second day she was spending with him. It was impossible to imagine how much he was going to affect her in the days to come.

After he had sufficiently cleaned the area around her wounds, he carefully sliced away any hanging skin from the wounds. He carefully positioned himself so that he wouldn't injure her further, one leg between hers, while he made sure not to brush against her bare back as he leaned over her. Leaning slightly over her from behind, he laved the long cuts with his tongue. She hadn't expected it and jerked from the feel of his smooth tongue moving erotically over her injuries. Immediately after that came a searing pain that robbed her of breath. "Ah, Sesshoumaru!" She gasped breathlessly as her body thrashed from the pain.

"Stop moving," he commanded imperiously, the slightest hint of irritation coloring his tone as he ran his tongue sensually over her bloodied skin; the taste of her blood filling his mouth was beginning to heat his desires for her once more. Groaning quietly, Sesshoumaru laid a hand on her plush bottom to anchor her where she lay, preventing her from moving unnecessarily lest he got even more aroused by her movements. Of course, the fact that her soft, rounded behind was pushing into his large hand was not helping matters at all. It wasn't long before his cock was firm standing tall and thick, engorged with his blood and desire.

Sesshoumaru made growling sounds as his erection pressed tightly against the swell of Kagome's plump backside, paining him on an entirely different level. Kagome wasn't helping matters either, as she squirmed under his hand. He moved it from her bottom to the back of her neck, pressing her down to the floor. "Don't make me repeat myself," Sesshoumaru warned, adjusting his position as he laid his disobedient erection between the swells of Kagome's behind. As he felt her soft flesh engulf him, he laid his forehead against her shoulder and groaned in undeniable pleasure once more.

The pain on her back had lessened considerably by now as her wounds had stopped bleeding, though they were still red and inflamed. Sesshoumaru collected himself enough to gingerly assess her dislocated shoulder before popping it back in place. A scream ripped out of Kagome's raw throat before she quieted taking in large shuddering breaths. Kagome became sinfully aware of the growing ache between her legs, and of how her wetness had spilled outside of her body and onto her thighs now that her pain was bearable. She could also feel the thick cock nestled between her bottom's cheeks as she arched, trying to get Sesshoumaru to press himself fully against her and into her.

"I said don't move!" He cursed as he felt how ready she was for him to take her; how wet she was. "You're injured," He spat out, fists clenched in an attempt to deny the pleasure that coursed like lightning through his veins.

"Something's wrong with me, Sesshoumaru. I can't stop myself," Kagome whimpered as she shuddered from the feel of Sesshoumaru's long fingers lightly pinching and caressing her stiff nipples unconsciously. His large hand cupped her full breast and his fingers squeezed firmly, reveling in the feel of her soft, plump flesh. Gritting his teeth fiercely, Sesshoumaru forced himself to calm down and to remove his hands from her body. He hadn't even been aware of slipping a hand beneath her in order to grope her. Breathing harshly, he tensed his muscles tightly with the effort to control himself even as he breathed her scent in deeply, nostrils flaring as he took in the delightful smell of her underneath the stench of death, dirt, urine and blood.

After a long while, he opened his eyes to reveal a less intense crimson coloring them, though he was still painfully aroused. Without another word, he gently draped the shirt he had taken off her earlier back over her shoulders, careful not to brush against her wounded area lest it cause her pain, though the deep cuts were already healed he was sure they were still tender. Turning her prone form around, Sesshoumaru slid her arms into the arm holes and wrapped his shirt tightly around her. Kagome winced a little from the silk brushing abrasively against the tender skin of her back. Upon hearing her, Sesshoumaru immediately loosened the shirt.

"Is it better now?" He asked monotonously, muscles still tensed as his cock remained erect, tenting his silk hakamas.

"Yes, thank you," Kagome answered shyly, scooting away from her position in front of Sesshoumaru; she could still feel how the hardness of his impressive length had twitched against her squirming backside only moments earlier before he backed away.

Blinking away the treacherous haze of pleasure, Sesshoumaru reprimanded himself inwardly, 'She is injured. I cannot be so thoughtless as to try and take her while she is in need of rest.'

Now that Kagome's back didn't pain her that much anymore, she occupied her thoughts with something else that appealed to her more than the sharp lancing pain in her back. Remembering what had happened earlier, she started blushing furiously at her earlier wanton behaviour. She fidgeted, trying to get rid of that achy feeling between her slick inner thighs. Even though she had placed considerable distance between the both of them, that did not hide the fact that Sesshoumaru could easily cross the distance within the blink of an eye due to the space constraints of the cell.

'What was I thinking! Rubbing up against him like _I_ was the one in heat instead of him,' Kagome mused somewhat angrily to herself before turning thoughtful, 'well, he did say I was in heat, didn't he?' Shaking her head furiously, Kagome vehemently denied her feelings to herself, 'No way! Higurashi Kagome, has your pitiful brain _disappeared_? You're doing this to help him, no other intentions, alright! No, feelings too! Nothing else.' She slapped both hands on the sides of her burning cheeks as she nodded determinedly, still too focused on her thoughts to notice a steady amber gaze on her. 'Nothing else.'

Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru was staring at her, his fiery desire tapering down into something more manageable as he watched her perform oddly curious acts. 'I wonder what on earth she's thinking about,' he thought quizzically, watching as she flailed her limbs about and blushed a bright crimson. Tilting his head, Sesshoumaru continued gazing at her with a curious light in his darkened amber eyes. 'Maybe she's still thinking about what happened earlier,' he mused, a small smile twisting the corners of his thin lips as he uncomfortably adjusted his stiffness.

"Kagome," he intoned her name quietly, surprisingly considerate as he didn't want to startle her from her daydreaming.

"Yes?" Her cheeks were still red as she took her hands away from them and beamed suddenly at him.

A little taken aback at her abruptness, Sesshoumaru took some time before he answered her with a question of his own, "What were you thinking of?"

The fact that he still spoke monotonously didn't seem to bother her, perhaps she had gotten used to it. She laughed awkwardly and replied almost without thinking through her answer, "Actually, I was thinking about you."

Sesshoumaru stared stoically at her, dark amber eyes hooded as he thought about the reason why she would be thinking about him.

'I can't believe I just told him that!' Realizing what she had just said, Kagome squeaked in mortification, "I mean, sort of. I wasn't particularly _thinking_ about you or anything, but the subject kind of…_drifted_." Kagome's blush only intensified as she uttered nonsense in order to fill the awkwardness that she had caused by her words.

"Cease your senseless babbling, miko. It's ridiculous and unsightly," Sesshoumaru said, his tone brimming with boredom and the slightest reproach directed at her for acting so childish.

Biting her lip, Kagome reached out and poked him in his chest indignantly, "We're stuck in some dingy cell in the middle of nowhere with nothing except for each another. Even if I speak in a non-ridiculous and non-unsightly manner, who is here to witness it?"

A silver eyebrow arched high as he asked tonelessly, "Am I not a person who is witnessing your horrendous manners?"

"Well, yes, you are but you don't count," Kagome retorted stubbornly, chin tilted proudly in defiance.

"And why is that, may I ask?" Sesshoumaru inquired politely, keeping his tone neutral as he waited for her undoubtedly foolish answer.

Frowning slightly as she mulled over her answer, Kagome replied, "Because we're fellow sufferers. And I'm not facing you in an elaborate setting so even though you're a demon lord, it doesn't really matter does it? That I'm not treating you with the proper manners you deserve and probably get every single day of your life I mean. It doesn't bother you…right?" She sounded uncertain.

Sighing, Sesshoumaru passed a striped hand through his thick bangs as he lamented silently the fact that this particular miko had a certain habit of mistaking every single one of his words. Horribly.

(A/N: Once more, I am terribly sorry for those who were anticipating another 'Kagome Loves Holidays' chapter, but not to worry, the newer version will hopefully be an even more satisfying one. Watch out for it when it comes! Hope you enjoyed the latest installment of 'To Fall into Rut'. I bet some people feel like bashing me in the head for not completing that lemon right? Haha. I just figured that two consecutive lemons make me seem like a nymphomaniac. Haha.)


End file.
